“Play stupid games and win stupid prizes.”
Naval Ravikant
Sometimes, I spend time with people and inevitably compare myself to them. I notice all the things they have and I don’t: a newer car, a nicer place, a bigger TV. That’s somewhat unfair because the more I talk to them, the more I realize all the small luxuries they have come at an expensive price. They have all those things, but they also have debt and a burning feeling that (despite their flashy possessions) they’re behind in life.
This led me to the realization that the nicest things in life are often invisible. You can tell a lot about someone you see on the street but don’t know personally. You can tell what car they drive, what clothes they wear, or where they live. What you don’t know is how often they exercise, how much money they’ve invested or saved, what they most value in life, what skills they’ve developed, you don’t know how happy they are, or how they’ll react when moments of crisis unfold.
Those are the factors we often ignore. We get so fixated by possessions that we forget what truly matters. Some things are more important than how much your washing machine costs. We keep pursuing small luxuries, and when we get them, we move the goalpost even further. This is the so-called hedonic treadmill. But regardless of how fast we move, by definition, we’ll never get there.
For most people, it’s easier to change their car than their minds, but while the former doesn’t make you a nicer person, we still pursue it wholeheartedly. We need to be aware of what games we play in life. If we don’t, we might reach the goal line and realize we’ve wasted our lives. Some things in life give you large returns, so don’t ignore them to impress people you don’t like. They’ll seem impressed at first, but people only care about themselves.
Make sure you know exactly what you’re doing and why. We only get one chance at life, and our goal should be to minimize the mistakes that can ruin us. The best things in life you can’t buy at any store: a calm mind, a fit body, people who love you, and solid values. You won’t be rewarded socially for pursuing those things, but they’re much more important than anything money can buy.
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