Episode
Ian Bogost on Finding Gratification in ‘The Small Stuff’
- Podcast
- KQED's Forum
- Published
- Jul 9, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3293
- Processing state
not_requested
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Summary
With all the books, podcasts and even business school classes instructing us how to be happier, the path to contentment can be a lot of work. But writer Ian Bogost urges us to appreciate a feeling less grand than happiness: gratification. He finds gratification in paying attention to the small sensory actions of the everyday – the feel of using a stick shift, the sound of paint being slathered on a wall, the texture of a couch cushion. We talk to Bogost about his new book, “The Small Stuff: How to Lead a More Gratifying Life." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices