The Ethical Life
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How can we find the balance in life between pleasure and meaning?
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Episode 186: Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss the delicate balance between pleasure-seeking and meaning-making in our fast-paced, technology-driven world.

"Are we chasing quick pleasure at the cost of deeper meaning?" Rada asks at the start of the discussion. Kyte explains that these two orientations toward life often exist on a continuum — pleasure-seeking is passive and short-term, while meaning-making is active and long-term.

The hosts note that society seems to have tilted heavily toward the pleasure-seeking side in recent decades, fueled by advances in technology and brain science that allow companies to engineer highly addictive digital experiences and products. From social media and online gaming to streaming television and convenient but unhealthy food, these stimuli provide instant gratification that can come at the expense of more meaningful pursuits.

"Pleasure-seeking is always shorter term because it is immediate gratification, while meaning-making is more long-term and goal-oriented," Kyte says. He worries this shift has led people to prioritize controlled, predictable digital interactions over the unpredictability of real-life relationships and activities.

The hosts acknowledge the personal responsibility people have in finding a healthier balance. They suggest taking up hobbies, joining community groups and setting aside time for reading — activities that restore energy rather than deplete it. However, they also believe there is a role for public policy, especially when it comes to protecting children.

Published

March 19th, 2025, 05:00 pm

The Ethical Life

How can we find the balance in life between pleasure and meaning?

00:00

43m

How can we find the balance in life between pleasure and meaning?

Published March 19th, 2025, 05:00 pm

Description

Episode 186: Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss the delicate balance between pleasure-seeking and meaning-making in our fast-paced, technology-driven world.

"Are we chasing quick pleasure at the cost of deeper meaning?" Rada asks at the start of the discussion. Kyte explains that these two orientations toward life often exist on a continuum — pleasure-seeking is passive and short-term, while meaning-making is active and long-term.

The hosts note that society seems to have tilted heavily toward the pleasure-seeking side in recent decades, fueled by advances in technology and brain science that allow companies to engineer highly addictive digital experiences and products. From social media and online gaming to streaming television and convenient but unhealthy food, these stimuli provide instant gratification that can come at the expense of more meaningful pursuits.

"Pleasure-seeking is always shorter term because it is immediate gratification, while meaning-making is more long-term and goal-oriented," Kyte says. He worries this shift has led people to prioritize controlled, predictable digital interactions over the unpredictability of real-life relationships and activities.

The hosts acknowledge the personal responsibility people have in finding a healthier balance. They suggest taking up hobbies, joining community groups and setting aside time for reading — activities that restore energy rather than deplete it. However, they also believe there is a role for public policy, especially when it comes to protecting children.

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Download

The Ethical Life

Scott Rada is a digital strategist with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Kyte is also the author of "Finding Your Third Place: Building Happier Communities (and Making Great Friends Along the Way)."

Follow the show on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify.

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