Lionel Page

If my goal in life is just to have a nice job, a house somewhere, not necessarily in a luxury suburb, et cetera, well, it's much easier to achieve that if I say my goal is to be a top manager, to have a very high income level, et cetera. So having a high goal... makes that for a given level, if I have a low goal, this looks great. If I have a high goal, the same thing is not going to look great.

So a very simple path to happiness is to have low aspirations. And if you look in history, I talk about Stoicism or Buddhism or Epicurism as well. So a lot of the kind of historical path to happiness recommendations is very simple. It's like, stop desiring what you do not have. just be happy with what you have. And that's the secret of happiness.

So a very simple path to happiness is to have low aspirations. And if you look in history, I talk about Stoicism or Buddhism or Epicurism as well. So a lot of the kind of historical path to happiness recommendations is very simple. It's like, stop desiring what you do not have. just be happy with what you have. And that's the secret of happiness.

So a very simple path to happiness is to have low aspirations. And if you look in history, I talk about Stoicism or Buddhism or Epicurism as well. So a lot of the kind of historical path to happiness recommendations is very simple. It's like, stop desiring what you do not have. just be happy with what you have. And that's the secret of happiness.

And there's something very true in it is that if you're able to stop, you know, try to get outside of this race where the goal keep moving forward, says, you know what, I'm healthy. Have a good meal every day. You know, got electricity, warm water. My ancestor didn't have that at all. So that's a fairly good life, right? I don't need to chase further success and further success.

And there's something very true in it is that if you're able to stop, you know, try to get outside of this race where the goal keep moving forward, says, you know what, I'm healthy. Have a good meal every day. You know, got electricity, warm water. My ancestor didn't have that at all. So that's a fairly good life, right? I don't need to chase further success and further success.

And there's something very true in it is that if you're able to stop, you know, try to get outside of this race where the goal keep moving forward, says, you know what, I'm healthy. Have a good meal every day. You know, got electricity, warm water. My ancestor didn't have that at all. So that's a fairly good life, right? I don't need to chase further success and further success.

So if you're able to do that, you can extract yourself from this pressure, you'll feel better. But then what you have is that your hedonic system is not designed for you to feel good. As we said before, your hedonic system is designed for you to be as successful as possible. As successful as possible.

So if you're able to do that, you can extract yourself from this pressure, you'll feel better. But then what you have is that your hedonic system is not designed for you to feel good. As we said before, your hedonic system is designed for you to be as successful as possible. As successful as possible.

So if you're able to do that, you can extract yourself from this pressure, you'll feel better. But then what you have is that your hedonic system is not designed for you to feel good. As we said before, your hedonic system is designed for you to be as successful as possible. As successful as possible.

And so your hedonic system, your brain should kind of pick all the information available to identify what you can do. And if... you learn that you can do something better, well, your hedonic system should just go a notch above and says, we have to do it, right? You're not designed to be happy and enjoy life. You're designed really to try as hard as possible.

And so your hedonic system, your brain should kind of pick all the information available to identify what you can do. And if... you learn that you can do something better, well, your hedonic system should just go a notch above and says, we have to do it, right? You're not designed to be happy and enjoy life. You're designed really to try as hard as possible.

And so your hedonic system, your brain should kind of pick all the information available to identify what you can do. And if... you learn that you can do something better, well, your hedonic system should just go a notch above and says, we have to do it, right? You're not designed to be happy and enjoy life. You're designed really to try as hard as possible.

Exactly, because if you think about our ancestors, some ancestors may be born with psychological traits where they enjoyed being on the beach and, you know, if there is enough food, you have enough food and one fish, etc. And some others were maybe a bit more neurotic, wanted to always work harder and harder.

Exactly, because if you think about our ancestors, some ancestors may be born with psychological traits where they enjoyed being on the beach and, you know, if there is enough food, you have enough food and one fish, etc. And some others were maybe a bit more neurotic, wanted to always work harder and harder.

Exactly, because if you think about our ancestors, some ancestors may be born with psychological traits where they enjoyed being on the beach and, you know, if there is enough food, you have enough food and one fish, etc. And some others were maybe a bit more neurotic, wanted to always work harder and harder.

Well, unfortunately for us, you know, the people who are the most neurotic and keep trying harder and harder are more likely to be ancestors now than the people who just enjoy life.

Well, unfortunately for us, you know, the people who are the most neurotic and keep trying harder and harder are more likely to be ancestors now than the people who just enjoy life.

Well, unfortunately for us, you know, the people who are the most neurotic and keep trying harder and harder are more likely to be ancestors now than the people who just enjoy life.

So I would say, you know, there's a balance, but... Our hedonic system should be designed to keep finding the best thing you can achieve. So as I said before, it's not worth you being depressed every day because you're not Elon Musk. There's no point into it. But you should identify what is the best thing you can achieve. Really best thing. And then aim for it. And so our hedonic system...