← Home
No Stupid Questions · June 21, 2026 · 00:29:00

Is a “Success Hangover” Real?

Angela Duckworth, Stephen Dubner
Show Notes

Stephen Dubner and Angela Duckworth explore why achieving a long-sought goal often leaves people feeling empty and disappointed—a phenomenon they call a “success hangover.” They discuss whether the post-achievement letdown is just the price of success and whether it’s better to have won and felt low than never to have tried. Along the way, they wonder about the true origin of ping-pong.

This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.

Highlights

•
The Success Hangover
Stephen and Angela introduce the term “success hangover” to describe the hollow, aimless feeling that often hits right after a major accomplishment.
ClaudeChatGPTGemini
•
Better to Win and Feel Bad?
The hosts debate whether the painful post‑win crash is worth the achievement itself.
ClaudeChatGPTGemini

Editorial

•
The Real Origin of Ping‑Pong
Angela and Stephen take a brief trivia break to question common assumptions about where ping‑pong came from.
ClaudeChatGPTGemini

Misc

✧The hosts debated where ping-pong was invented, speculating whether it came from England or Asia.
✧This episode first aired in January 2022 but remains relevant to the timeless question of post-success emptiness.
Was this useful?