Show Notes
In this episode, Dr. Kashey challenges common notions about the true nature of frustration. Rather than an emotion, he frames frustration as an event obstructing our progress. When frustrations happen, the thoughts and feelings they provoke drive our reactions. While the phrase "I'm frustrated" expresses upset, Dr. Kashey argues feeling so is a choice, not an inherent feature of frustrations. Though they thwart desires, overcoming frustrations builds perseverance and leads to fulfillment. Lack of appropriate frustration causes misery through boredom. Yet when we automatically see frustrations negatively, it becomes the justification for distress - a self-imposed barrier to happiness. The most self-actualized people interpret frustrations positively, as productive drivers of growth and understanding. He argues that avoiding frustrations erodes tolerance, and embracing them builds the capacity to respond rationally. Dr. Kashey recommends "reclassifying frustrations as good" reframing them as necessary stepping stones rather than causes for angst.
