Arthur Brooks

Yeah, yeah.

Mick Jagger's saying I can't get no satisfaction, but what he should have saying is I can't keep no satisfaction.

And young and profiting listeners, beware because you're on this treadmill of more and more and more accomplishment, more and more stuff, more and more.

When I get there, I'll finally be happy.

No, you won't.

You'll be happy for a minute and then off to the races.

You have to learn to manage that.

A big part of what I work on with highly ambitious people is how to manage their satisfaction because they can become just as addicted with the same neurochemicals

to the satisfaction dilemma based on accomplishments as can anybody with gambling or methamphetamine.

And it's a really dangerous thing for ambitious people.

And then the last part is meaning and purpose.

If your life doesn't have meaning and purpose, if you can't answer the questions, why am I alive?

And for what would I be willing to die?

You're not going to be a very happy person.

And the irony of this, I have to convince my students of this,

is that the way you get it is not by having fun.

And the way you get it is never by trying to avoid unhappiness.

It's by actually embracing your suffering.

It's by sacrifice and with challenge.

Now, too much suffering is too much.