Grit: A Practical Guide to Developing Physical and Mental Toughness

In so many ways our lives are easier than ever. Were sheltered from the elements our ancestors braved daily. We dont need to grow hunt or gather our food nor do we ever need to feel hungry for more than a few hours. We can immerse ourselves in digital entertainment that stimulates us in ways our great grandparents never could have imagined.And yet were unhappy. There were over 45000 suicides and over 100000 drug overdoses in America in 2021 and surveys have been consistently showing that were the unhappiest weve been in decades since before the pandemic.This is the problem of ease. Were drowning in pleasure and yet so many of us seem unable to bear one minute without it. Were more comfortable than ever and less able to handle discomforts our ancestors would have found trivial. Grit is an antidote to this problem an exploration of the value of chosen suffering.In a time when were so comfortable some people wonder whether we even need grit anymore this book is a meditation on the virtue of it.Grit is a roadmap for anyone looking to escape the suffocation of ease. Its a blueprint for tapping into the natural antifragility of the human mind and body. Along the way youll learn about the power of habit the role of external environment risk fear courage and more. Grit will teach you new ways to challenge yourself physically and mentally from fasting to exercise to cold exposure to memorizing poetry.Drawing on philosophy psychology and experience Ben Connelly will show you not only why a good life requires chosen suffering but how and what to choose.