<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"&gt; In an attempt to cope with a harsh and overwhelming world, many of us unconsciously desensitize ourselves to block out pain. But here is the catch: our emotions do not have selective volume knobs; when we numb the darkness, we also numb the light. In this episode, we explore this numbness paradox—why avoiding pain kills your joy—and how to safely open your heart to feel fully alive again.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black;"&gt; New Episode of the Happiness Podcast with Dr. Robert Puff, Ph.D.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Apple Color Emoji'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Apple Color Emoji'; color: black;"&gt; 🎧&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black;"&gt; Listen now at &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.happinesspodcast.org/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"&gt;https://www.HappinessPodcast.org&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"&gt; &lt;hr align="center" size="0" width="100%" /&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"&gt; &lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black;"&gt; Do you want to live a peaceful, happy life? Are you struggling with anxiety or depression? Or are you simply ready to take the next step toward your full potential?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"&gt; &lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black;"&gt; Join Dr. Robert Puff, a licensed clinical psychologist with over 30 years of experience, on the &lt;strong&gt;Happiness Podcast&lt;/strong&gt;. With over 20 million downloads, the podcast explores the specific actions you can take to create lasting happiness.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"&gt; &lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black;"&gt; A licensed psychologist in Newport Beach, California and author of 15 books, Dr. Puff has spent decades studying human achievement and sharing what he's learned. He wants to help you learn the steps you need to take to soar in your own life.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"&gt; &lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black;"&gt; His blog for&lt;span class= "apple-converted-space"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Psychology Today&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span class="apple-converted-space"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;has captivated nearly 3 million readers, establishing him as a leading thinker in mental wellness.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black;"&gt; Explore more:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul type="disc"&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"&gt; The Happiness Podcast:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"&gt; Listen for free.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"&gt; Books:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"&gt; Discover Dr. Puff's 15 books.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"&gt; Blog:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"&gt; Read his articles on Psychology Today:&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span style= "color: windowtext;"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/contributors/robert-puff-phd"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"&gt; https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/contributors/robert-puff-phd&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style= "mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;"&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: black;"&gt; Contact Dr. Puff:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul type="disc"&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"&gt; Email:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"&gt; DrRobertPuff@icloud.com&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"&gt; Phone/WhatsApp:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"&gt; 1-714-337-4889&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal" style= "color: black; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"&gt; Learn more:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="color: windowtext;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.doctorpuff.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"&gt;https://www.DoctorPuff.com&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p style= "margin: 0in; background: white; vertical-align: baseline;"&gt; &lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Apple Color Emoji'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Apple Color Emoji'; color: #1a1a1a;"&gt; ✅&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #1a1a1a;"&gt; Follow Dr. Robert Puff and the Happiness Podcast on social media:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p style= "text-indent: -.25in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; background: white; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0in 0in 0in .5in;"&gt; &lt;!-- [if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; color: #1a1a1a;"&gt;&lt;span style="mso-list: Ignore;"&gt;·&lt;span style="font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';"&gt;      &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #1a1a1a;"&gt;Instagram&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Apple Color Emoji'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Apple Color Emoji'; color: #1a1a1a;"&gt; ▶️&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #1a1a1a;"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/robertpuffjr/"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #2ea3f2; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"&gt;https://www.instagram.com/robertpuffjr/&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p style= "text-indent: -.25in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; background: white; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0in 0in 0in .5in;"&gt; &lt;!-- [if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; color: #1a1a1a;"&gt;&lt;span style="mso-list: Ignore;"&gt;·&lt;span style="font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';"&gt;      &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #1a1a1a;"&gt;LinkedIn&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Apple Color Emoji'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Apple Color Emoji'; color: #1a1a1a;"&gt; ▶️&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #1a1a1a;"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/doctorpuff"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #2ea3f2; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"&gt;https://www.linkedin.com/in/doctorpuff&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p style= "text-indent: -.25in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in; background: white; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0in 0in 0in .5in;"&gt; &lt;!-- [if !supportLists]--&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; color: #1a1a1a;"&gt;&lt;span style="mso-list: Ignore;"&gt;·&lt;span style="font: 7.0pt 'Times New Roman';"&gt;      &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #1a1a1a;"&gt;Twitter&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Apple Color Emoji'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Apple Color Emoji'; color: #1a1a1a;"&gt; ▶️&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #1a1a1a;"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"&gt;&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/HappinesPodcast"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; color: #2ea3f2; border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"&gt;https://twitter.com/HappinesPodcast&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; 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Happiness Podcast

Dr. Robert Puff, Ph.D.

#569 The Numbness Paradox: Why Avoiding Pain Kills Your Joy

JAN 9, 202613 MIN
Happiness Podcast

#569 The Numbness Paradox: Why Avoiding Pain Kills Your Joy

JAN 9, 202613 MIN

Description

In an attempt to cope with a harsh and overwhelming world, many of us unconsciously desensitize ourselves to block out pain. But here is the catch: our emotions do not have selective volume knobs; when we numb the darkness, we also numb the light. In this episode, we explore this numbness paradox—why avoiding pain kills your joy—and how to safely open your heart to feel fully alive again. New Episode of the Happiness Podcast with Dr. Robert Puff, Ph.D. 🎧 Listen now at https://www.HappinessPodcast.org Do you want to live a peaceful, happy life? Are you struggling with anxiety or depression? Or are you simply ready to take the next step toward your full potential? Join Dr. Robert Puff, a licensed clinical psychologist with over 30 years of experience, on the Happiness Podcast. With over 20 million downloads, the podcast explores the specific actions you can take to create lasting happiness. A licensed psychologist in Newport Beach, California and author of 15 books, Dr. Puff has spent decades studying human achievement and sharing what he's learned. He wants to help you learn the steps you need to take to soar in your own life. His blog for Psychology Today has captivated nearly 3 million readers, establishing him as a leading thinker in mental wellness. Explore more: The Happiness Podcast: Listen for free. Books: Discover Dr. Puff's 15 books. Blog: Read his articles on Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/contributors/robert-puff-phd Contact Dr. Puff: Email: [email protected] Phone/WhatsApp: 1-714-337-4889 Learn more: https://www.DoctorPuff.com ✅ Follow Dr. Robert Puff and the Happiness Podcast on social media: · Instagram ▶️ https://www.instagram.com/robertpuffjr/ · LinkedIn ▶️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/doctorpuff · Twitter ▶️ https://twitter.com/HappinesPodcast · Facebook ▶️ https://www.facebook.com/HappinessPodcast/