The Tree in the Corner: Why Comfort is Making Us Weak
Guest post by Maxime Lagacé of Wisdom Quotes on resilience and comfort.
Maxime Lagacé of The Daily Wisdom Quotes has become a good friend of mine. A fellow lover of philosophy, his Substack is a treasure trove of quotes and resources promoting wisdom.
A father, husband, author, continuous learner, and passionate philosopher, Max embodies his writing. His primary focus is promoting perspectives to develop inner peace so people can live better lives. So much so that he wrote a book on it:
Inner Peace: Top Quotes, Ideas, And Insights To Stop Feeling Overwhelmed And Live A Better Life
I recently wrote a post reviewing his quick, easy, and fantastic book:
typically writes empowering quotes and poems. Embracing the concept of intentional stress, he stepped outside of his comfort zone and put together long-form article on resilience. It’s a creative and insightful way to consider resilience and how it varies across humans based on their relationship with comfort.
Contemplate your priorities and actions to reveal opportunities.
Comfort and inner peace are not the same.
Enjoy.
By Maxime Lagacé
The little tree outside my house screams “Help! Help! Help!”.
So I put on my coat.
Put on my boots.
And go outside to help it.
I remove the snow and make sure it’s alright.
Phew.
More fear than pain.
The following week, another snowstorm hits again.
The tree starts screaming “Help! Help! Help!”.
I put on my coat, put on my boots…
This is the story of the little tree in the corner.
Could this tree be you?
You are in danger of living a life so comfortable and soft, that you will die without ever realizing your true potential. David Goggins
Sadly for it, this little tree is located in an inside corner.
A kind of nook my house forms.
The results?
There’s no wind in that corner.
No daily challenge.
No opportunity to become strong.
There’s only comfort.
Ease.
And when a snowstorm hits, that little tree becomes overwhelmed fast.
It’s unable to stay straight.
Unable to be autonomous and self-reliant.
MODERN SOCIETY CONFUSES COMFORT WITH HAPPINESS
Modern society puts humans in corners.
Like the little tree.
And we love comfort.
We love ease.
But for 300,000 years, before the agricultural revolution, homo sapiens were hunter-gatherers.
It means we were:
Moving daily
Going outside daily
Exploring nature
Sprinting
Fighting
Building tools
Building shelters
Lifting objects
Having a tribe
Collaborating in groups
We had to do hard things.
It was for survival.
Fast forward to today, modern society offers us the easiest of lives. If you want, you can sit in your room all week and still “function.”
It’s crazy when you think about it:
You can have pizzas delivered
You can have your groceries delivered
You can “connect” with your friends and family through your phone
You can do… whatever you want from your room
Even a robot cleans your floor while you doomscroll
Today, it’s about abundance. It’s not about scarcity anymore.
It’s about comfort and ease. It’s not about challenges and survival anymore.
There’s even a word (hikikomori) to describe individuals who withdraw from society, staying in their homes or rooms for months or even years.
In Japan, estimates suggest over 1.4 million people, or roughly 2% of the working-age population, are living as hikikomori.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF TOO MUCH ABUNDANCE, COMFORT, AND EASE
Obesity is skyrocketing.
Depression is skyrocketing.
Loneliness is skyrocketing.
Screen addiction is skyrocketing.
Weakness is skyrocketing.
Anxiety is skyrocketing.
The reason?
It’s too easy to live an easy life.
It’s too easy to have a comfortable life.
And humans are lazy by nature.
So if “easy” is an option, we choose it, most of the time.
Logic.
Humans are wired to crave certainty.
Humans are wired to crave comfort and control.
We have been fighting for that for 300,000 years.
And now we have tools and structures that give us the illusion of control.
We have:
Ubiquitous screens
Abundant food
Abundant news
Abundant distractions
Abundant material possessions
Abundant everything
But perhaps humans can’t handle abundance so well after all.
And perhaps humans can do better…
BACK TO OUR LITTLE TREE
How could my little tree become stronger?
How can it avoid breaking during the next snowstorm?
What would be a better place for our little tree?
The answer?
In the middle of my terrain.
Where there’s wind.
Where there are challenges.
Frequent challenges.
Otherwise, it’ll stay weak until its death.
Not living to its fullest potential.
But here’s the secret:
I know comfort and ease are tempting.
But by making them your main goal in life, you’ll avoid doing things that will truly bring the meaning and satisfaction you’re seeking in life.
Too many people believe that everything must be pleasurable in life, which makes them constantly search for distractions. Robert Greene
Everything worthwhile is uphill. John C. Maxwell
CONCLUSION: YOU WERE NOT MADE TO LIVE A SOFT LIFE
Society lies to you.
Society tries to sell you happiness through comfort.
But it’s a trap.
No, buying a new iPhone won’t make you happy forever.
No, traveling to Italy won’t make you happy forever.
No, 120+ minutes of screen time won’t satisfy you.
And no, comfort doesn’t equal happiness.
Your body and mind are built to move, lift, build, think, collaborate, evolve, explore, walk in forests, learn new things, and sometimes be bored.
They are not built to sit, watch 24/7 news, have 10,000 “friends”, buy the latest gadget every month, and receive dopamine hits every 30 seconds.
If the way you live your life now hasn’t brought you joy or peace yet, perhaps it’s time to rethink it.
ONE DAILY CHALLENGE
So start with one new habit.
Today.
Start with one daily intentional stressor, as our friend Kyle would suggest.
One daily discomfort.
One daily morning walk.
One daily movement for 15 minutes.
One daily exercise.
One daily 5-minute meditation.
One weekly 500-word article.
One weekly call to your friend.
And perhaps, in 30 days or more, the little tree will become more grounded, stronger, and healthier.
Ready for the next storm.
3 QUOTES TO PONDER ON
Quite literally, you become your habits. James Clear
Do what is right, not what is easy nor what is popular. Roy T. Bennett
Don’t seek a stress-free life. It doesn’t exist. Seek to become so mentally resilient that you can handle anything life throws at you.
1 QUESTION
Are you the tree in the corner? Or are you standing where the wind blows? Let us know in the comment section.
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I don't want to be, but I have to admit I see myself as the tree. Sadly after the reality hit right after I read the post, my ethos as usual is to find something to blame it on, and this time it was because I wanted comfort. My mother was homebound for decades mind you, and so when this post startled me awake I saw how I've been creating to please when I would rather strive to be stronger and kinder as a citizen. The changes are not immediate but subtle now that she has departed this earth so, thanks for the way you helped me get back to life after her death. 😀
Excellent tree analogy, Kyle and Maxime. I've read this post two times so far; there are a lot of valuable truths within it. And it contains digestible challenges without being overwhelming.