The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort to Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self

“But day by day I embraced the raw discomfort of hard change, and soon the world opened up.”

This quote, a reflection on Easter’s journey toward sobriety, highlights the transformative power of embracing discomfort. Easter uses a personal narrative to explore the broader theme of The Relationship Between Discomfort and Personal Growth. The juxtaposition of discomfort and the opening of the world suggests a paradoxical truth: True growth often requires facing and overcoming difficult, uncomfortable realities.

“The modern comforts and conveniences that now most influence our daily experience—cars, computers, television, climate control, smartphones, ultraprocessed food, and more—have been used by our species for about 100 years or less.”

This quote reflects on the rapid evolution of modern comforts compared to the vast timeline of human existence. It employs a historical perspective, contrasting the minute fraction of time in which modern conveniences have existed against the backdrop of human history. This temporal contrast emphasizes the unnaturalness of contemporary comforts, suggesting a disconnect between our evolutionary history and current lifestyles. It also suggests that our current way of life is more reversible than we may think, as it hasn’t been the norm for very long.

“We adjust expectations. As the threatening faces became rare, the study participants began to perceive neutral faces as threatening.”

Here, Easter examines a psychological study to illustrate how humans’ perception of threats (or problems) adapts relative to those problems’ frequency. This quote is significant for its exploration of how context shapes perception, a key concept in understanding human behavior and societal attitudes. It also subtly mirrors the broader theme of the book: As challenges in life decrease, our threshold for what we consider challenging lowers.

“I’m a hunter. When you peel back all the layers, I think humans basically evolved from single-celled organisms, into apes, into humans. We are animals.”

This quote, spoken by Donnie, addresses the fundamental role of humans as part of the natural world, highlighting the intrinsic connection between humans and hunting. It utilizes a simplified evolutionary perspective to justify hunting as a natural activity inherent to humans. This rationale serves as a counterpoint to modern society’s habit of disconnecting food from its sources, inviting reflection on the roots of human behavior and survival instincts.

“When I returned to civilization, the discomfort-induced buzz hung around for weeks. I kept returning in my head to how I felt during those wild days, ascending unforgiving mountain faces, missing meals, attempting in vain to escape the cold, never knowing what the untamed world would throw at me next.”

This quote reflects the author’s inner transformation after enduring the rigors of the wilderness. The juxtaposition of “civilization” with “wild days” underscores the gap between the comfort of modern life and the challenges of nature. The enduring “discomfort-induced buzz” symbolizes the lasting impact of these experiences on one’s psyche, suggesting that true growth and understanding often stem from stepping out of one’s comfort zone and facing the unpredictable. Easter’s use of the word “buzz” in particular is notable, considering that the author previously struggled with alcohol use. The new energy he gains from spending time in nature is subtly compared with his previous reliance on a more negative mind-altering substance.

“In modern society, however, it’s suddenly possible to survive without being challenged. You’ll still have plenty of food. You’ll have a comfortable home. A good job to show up to, and some people who love you. And that seems like an OK life, right?”

This examines the complacency Easter sees in modern life, where basic survival no longer necessitates facing significant challenges. The rhetorical question at the end invites the reader to question whether mere survival in comfort is sufficient for a fulfilling life. This introspection drives one of the narrative’s central themes, the relationship between discomfort and personal growth, contrasting with the passive existence of modern comfort. It also speaks directly to the kind of person the book is targeting—one who leads a relatively stable and affluent existence—revealing its audience.

“Misogis are an emotional, spiritual, and psychological challenge that masquerades as a physical challenge.”

This quote captures the essence of misogi, portraying it as more than just a physical endeavor. By describing misogi as a guise for deeper emotional, spiritual, and psychological trials, Easter highlights the multifaceted, hidden nature of these challenges. This statement underscores a recurring theme: the Benefits of Physical and Mental Challenges and the relationship between the two.

“Elliott is like a misogi televangelist. He incited my interest in finding my own wild, terrifying, long-shot task. I wanted a misogi of my own.”

This quote captures the author’s inspiration and aspiration to embark on a personal journey of self-discovery and challenge, akin to misogi. Elliott, portrayed as a catalyst for this transformation, exemplifies the influence a mentor or role model can have on an individual’s life choices. The use of the term “misogi televangelist” humorously conveys Elliott’s persuasive power in promoting the modern concept of misogi while also emphasizing the spiritual and almost religious fervor with which Easter pursues this personal quest.

“But as each passing year converts some of this experience into automatic routine that we hardly note at all, the days and the weeks smooth themselves out in recollection to contentless units, and the years grow hollow and collapse.”

This reflective quote examines the motif of the mundane nature of routine and its impact on our perception of time and life. It suggests that a life led in routine becomes a blur of unremarkable days, lacking the memorability of new experiences. The comparison of days to units that become hollow and collapse recollects a row of indistinguishable buildings, like those in a city. Through this metaphor, Easter intimates that he wants to escape both this figurative structure of time and the physical structures of the urban environment.

“‘The capacity to be alone is essentially the ability to be alone with yourself and not feel uncomfortable or like you have to distract yourself,’ said Matthew Bowker, PhD.”

This quote addresses the psychological aspect of solitude and its significance to personal growth, which is particularly relevant in the context of the author’s journey. It challenges the modern aversion to solitude, emphasizing the importance of being comfortable in one’s own company. The quote reflects the inner journey of self-discovery, aligning with the theme of finding strength and understanding through introspection, which is a critical component of Easter’s experience in the wilderness.

“But moments like that [surviving an Arctic windstorm]…you might find that they make everything else more colorful and more manageable.”

This quote, attributed to Donnie Vincent, reflects a realization about the impact of challenging experiences on one’s perspective on life. It suggests that surviving intense, dangerous situations can alter one’s outlook, making everyday challenges seem more manageable and life more vibrant by comparison.

“A chocolate chip Clif Bar has 250 calories. Its primary ingredient is ‘organic brown rice syrup,’ which I believe is a health-haloed euphemism for ‘sugar.’”

This quote, amidst a detailed description of mundane objects, highlights the narrator’s deep dive into boredom. The meticulous scrutiny of a Clif Bar’s nutritional content reflects a mind starved for stimulation and resorting to finding interest in the most trivial details. This focus on the ordinary exemplifies how boredom can magnify small aspects of our surroundings, leading us to contemplate things we usually overlook. It also reflects the fussiness of the modern human preoccupation with ingredients and diet, juxtaposed with the caribou Easter and his group hunted, which bore no packaging or detailed ingredient list.

“Boredom is indeed dead. And one scientist way up north in Ontario, Canada, is discovering that this is bad.”

This statement serves as a turning point, shifting from personal experience to a broader, more analytical perspective on boredom. It introduces the concept that the absence of boredom has significant psychological implications. The quote paves the way for a discussion on how modern technology’s power to fill our idle moments could be detrimental, hinting at a lost opportunity for creativity and introspection that comes with boredom.

“But science mostly considered these ideas and the biophilia hypothesis about as sound a discipline as astrology. Any benefits of nature, most thought, were just a by-product of what people in nature do—usually some kind of exercise, like hiking—rather than some sort of base-level intimate relationship we’ve developed with, like, peat moss.”

This statement offers a critical perspective on the historical skepticism toward the biophilic hypothesis, contrasting scientific doubt with the idea that time in nature is innately beneficial. This casts biophilia as a misunderstood and emerging field. The quote uses a comparison to astrology to highlight the lack of credibility that once plagued biophilia.

“The silence-induced discomfort is a new, learned behavior, those Australian scientists think. Humans evolved in a soundscape like the one I’m experiencing in the Arctic.”

This quote addresses contemporary human discomfort with silence, presenting it as a learned behavior in an effort to contrast it with our evolutionary past. The mention of the Arctic soundscape serves as a reminder of the natural environments in which humans once survived. This difference underlines the significant shift in our lifestyle and environment, suggesting a disconnection from our evolutionary roots. The quote implicitly advocates for re-engaging with natural quietude as a means to realign with our inherent nature. However, the quote also belies the idea that humans are not continuing to evolve because it shows that we are still adapting to our modern surroundings.

“We’re facing what I guess I’d call a hunger-induced food obsession. We’re now so damn ravenous that our mental energies revolve around food and how we can get it, the state increasing the further we dig ourselves into this hunger hole.”

This quote captures the psychological impact of intense hunger on the human mind. The phrase “hunger-induced food obsession” effectively conveys the overwhelming focus on food that arises from being in a calorific deficit. This fixation on food demonstrates a fundamental survival instinct, where the brain is overtaken by the primal nature of hunger, overriding other concerns and focusing singularly on the basic need for sustenance.

“We’re either kind of feasting, where we maintain our weight, or we’re definitely feasting, where we add weight. Hunger is missing from our daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly wellness prescription.”

This quote reflects on the modern lifestyle’s detachment from the natural cycle of hunger and feasting that characterized human existence for millennia. The phrases “kind of feasting” and “definitely feasting” humorously capture the abundance of food in contemporary, middle-class Western society. The absence of hunger from our “wellness prescription” implies a significant shift from the historical human experience, where hunger was a regular, perhaps daily, event. The description of this as a “prescription” suggests that the constant availability and consumption of food may not align with our actual needs and may even be making us sick.

“But it is agreed that these people weren’t eating around the clock. The research suggests they likely ate one or two meals a day. And between meals they surely weren’t snacking on vending-machine foods or sipping Frappuccinos.”

This quote contrasts the eating habits of our ancestors with those of modern humans. The reference to “vending-machine foods” and “Frappuccinos” highlights the difference between the natural, sporadic, and simple diet of the past and the processed, constant, and complex diet of today. The implication is that our ancestors’ diet, characterized by fewer meals and virtually no snacking, was more in tune with the human body’s natural rhythms and needs. The modern tendency to eat frequently and consume processed foods is presented as a deviation from this natural pattern, with potential negative consequences for health and well-being.

“The herd collectively flinches as pressure releases from the gun, interrupting the Arctic silence. They all freeze and survey in different directions. The old bull is nonreactive…Oh, God, what have I done? I think as I stand and march toward him.”

This quote captures the pivotal moment of the hunt, highlighting the difference between the sudden violence of the gunshot and the pristine Arctic silence. The collective reaction of the herd, juxtaposed with the old bull’s nonreactivity, underscores the reality of life and death in nature. The narrator’s internal question reflects a sudden onslaught of remorse and responsibility, signaling a newfound understanding of the gravity of taking a life. This moment encapsulates the ethical and emotional complexity inherent in hunting, blending the primal act of hunting with a modern sense of accountability and introspection.

“Conflicting emotions of sadness and elation rise within me. My body is heavy yet pulsing with energy. It is a feeling of intense closeness to and gratitude for this animal and the place from which he came. Almost like love.”

This quote examines the emotional aftermath of the hunt, revealing a complex inner landscape. The narrator experienced a blend of sadness and elation that embodies the paradox of hunting, where the act of killing brings about a deep sense of connection and gratitude toward the animal. This emotional response transcends mere triumph, touching on a spiritual-like reverence for nature and the life taken. The phrase “almost like love” suggests a deep bond with the natural world, highlighting the transformative nature of this experience and its impact on the narrator’s perception of life, death, and the natural order.

“The weight of the pack is cutting into my shoulders and dragging on my hips, making even the basic act of breathing a struggle. And we haven’t even started hiking the five miles back to camp.”

This quote explores the physical toll and challenge of the hunt, which extends far beyond the act of taking an animal’s life. It conveys the hunter’s struggle with the weight they bear, both literally and metaphorically. The physical burden of the meat and the caribou’s head symbolize the responsibility and consequence of the hunt. This experience contrasts sharply with the ease of modern life, where food is often conveniently obtained without a sense of where it came from or how. The struggle to breathe under the weight adds a visceral, almost claustrophobic quality to the narrative, emphasizing the physicality and rawness of the experience.

“The weight is easier to manage with the pack’s hip belt buckled tight. But only for a handful of minutes. My lower-body muscles eventually start feeling like they’re being blowtorched off my bones.”

This quote conveys the excruciating physicality of the author’s experience. The simile of muscles feeling like they’re being “blowtorched off” his bones illustrates the extreme pain and endurance required in this task. The narrative focuses on the intensity of physical labor, reminding readers of a time when such effort was commonplace for survival. The detailed description serves to immerse the reader in the physical struggle, highlighting the difference between the demands of primitive survival and modern comfort.

“We walk in silence. Not because we don’t want to talk. But rather because we’re all breathing too heavily, all burrowed too deeply in our own respective pain caves and trying to silence our brains, which are screaming at us to stop, slow down, take a seat, quit.”

This passage encapsulates the mental and physical strain of the journey. The silence among the group was not a choice but a necessity imposed by their arduous task, illustrating the raw, unspoken communication that occurs in moments of shared hardship. The use of the phrase “pain caves” metaphorically represents each person’s internal struggle and endurance, while the personification of their brains adds a sense of intrapersonal conflict. This description not only portrays the physical challenge but also details the psychological resilience required to continue despite overwhelming discomfort.