Morgan Housel

Movies.

Derek Thompson of The Atlantic used to be at The Atlantic wrote about this, that if you watch a movie 100 times, you want to blow your brains out.

It's just you hate it.

But you listen to a song 1,000 times, it can get better over time.

It's a different part of your brain that's processing it.

But I think that it tends to be the case.

But being content, just waking up and be like, I got everything I want and I can live in the moment and just appreciate what I have.

And yeah, there's a lot of people who have a lot more than me, but I don't focus on that.

I got everything that I need right here.

It's a unique mindset.

Just using it as a tool for optionality to say, look, if we were to experience the second Great Depression, I'm going to be okay.

And my kids are going to be okay.

If I want to change careers, I can do that.

If I want to move, I can do that.

If I want to work less, I can do that.

Having the mere option to do it, even if you're not exercising that option, is tremendous for people.

Just waking up this morning and being like, my life's in my control.

Shocking, right?

And look, here's the thing.

If you had said that statistic to someone 100 years ago, and it wasn't $400, it was $40, whatever would be adjusted for inflation, people would be like, yeah, that's how life works.