What do slot machines, dating apps, social media, hot showers, cold plunges, and a chunk of concrete I found in the street have in common? Apparently, more than I realized.

I sat down with bestselling author Michael Easter, who lives in Las Vegas and spends an alarming amount of time thinking about why human beings do the things we do. We got into the psychology of slot machines, the reason so many of us can't stop scrolling, why comfort might be making us miserable, and how a 65-pound rock nearly convinced me I was in better shape than I actually was.

Michael's books—The Comfort Crisis, Scarcity Brain, and Walking with Weight—all ask variations of the same question: Why are we so drawn to the easy button, and what do we lose when we press it?

In short, it's a conversation about modern life and the possibility that some of the things making us comfortable are also making us soft.

So what's the hardest thing you've done on purpose lately?