Why does unexpected pain hit the hardest? Derek Sivers on the core idea of the Pursue Pain chapter in his book How to Live.
Derek cut a full paragraph down, sentence by sentence, until only the essential words were left: "Pain's power relies on surprise. If you expect it, it's weaker. If you choose it, it's gone."
Derek Sivers is an entrepreneur, author, and speaker. His books include How to Live, Useful Not True, Hell Yeah or No, and Anything You Want.
This clip is from his full conversation with Jim O'Shaughnessy on Infinite Loops.
KEY INSIGHTS
- Surprise gives pain its power. The pain you did not see coming hits the hardest.
- Expecting pain weakens it. Preparing for difficulty takes away much of its force.
- Choosing the hard path changes everything. When you pick the painful option on purpose, for growth or learning, Derek says the pain is gone.
Derek Sivers: https://sive.rs
Jim O'Shaughnessy: https://x.com/jposhaughnessy
