A paper I think about all the time: In an experiment where people are asked to sit quietly for 15 minutes & enjoy their thoughts or else self-administer 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀, 2/3 of men and 1/4 of women choose to shock themselves. https://www.erinwestgate.com/uploads/7/6/4/1/7641726/westgate_spsp2014_shock.pdf

Also if you haven’t read the fine print over the graph...

Everyone in the experiment had already had a chance to be shocked, so it wasn’t new to them & they knew it hurt. The experiment is covered more in this neat summary of the research on thinking for pleasure - why it’s good, and why we hate it. https://www.nickbuttrick.com/files/Advances2019.pdf

Taking time to reflect turns out to be a very good thing, even if we don’t like to do it. Multiple experiments have shown it is a key to learning. For example, reflection increases retention (by 22% compared to just reviewing what you learned!) & leads to higher grades in school.

And another new, small-scale experiment on how we would rather be in physical pain than have to think too hard: people would rather feel like they are being 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 on their arm by a hot probe than try to remember too many sequences of numbers. https://twitter.com/arossotto/status/1334556706370674689