Steven

Because what you actually want to seek is what my grandmother-in-law had, which is being content with the little bit that she had. And that's why she was so happy. And maybe again, that's the wrong word, but she was content. She was perfectly content with her very simple, very basic, boring life, boring in other people's eyes. She was content.

Because what you actually want to seek is what my grandmother-in-law had, which is being content with the little bit that she had. And that's why she was so happy. And maybe again, that's the wrong word, but she was content. She was perfectly content with her very simple, very basic, boring life, boring in other people's eyes. She was content.

And that's why a lot of people would look at her, including me, with a sense of envy. It's probably the right word. How did you do that? How are you so happy? It's because she was content with what she had.

And that's why a lot of people would look at her, including me, with a sense of envy. It's probably the right word. How did you do that? How are you so happy? It's because she was content with what she had.

When you imagine yourself driving in the Ferrari and you're like, oh, that would be so great. What you're actually imagining yourself is yourself in a Ferrari being content with that Ferrari. But what ends up happening is when, if you are in the Ferrari, you're like, oh, look at that Lambo. Oh, that's nicer than mine, isn't it? You're not content with it.

When you imagine yourself driving in the Ferrari and you're like, oh, that would be so great. What you're actually imagining yourself is yourself in a Ferrari being content with that Ferrari. But what ends up happening is when, if you are in the Ferrari, you're like, oh, look at that Lambo. Oh, that's nicer than mine, isn't it? You're not content with it.

Right. And then you want the Rolls Royce, whatever it is. Whether you know it or not, that's what you're actually seeking. You just want to be content with what you have because that's true joy. How does one be content now? People have been talking about that for thousands of years. The philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer has this quote that I love.

Right. And then you want the Rolls Royce, whatever it is. Whether you know it or not, that's what you're actually seeking. You just want to be content with what you have because that's true joy. How does one be content now? People have been talking about that for thousands of years. The philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer has this quote that I love.

He said, if you only want to be happy, that is very easy to achieve. But people want to be happier than other people. And that is much more difficult. I think that's what it is. It's like so much of it is just a comparison game. And for a lot of people, it's like, I don't necessarily want a nice house. What I want is a house that's nicer than yours. I don't necessarily want an expensive car.

He said, if you only want to be happy, that is very easy to achieve. But people want to be happier than other people. And that is much more difficult. I think that's what it is. It's like so much of it is just a comparison game. And for a lot of people, it's like, I don't necessarily want a nice house. What I want is a house that's nicer than yours. I don't necessarily want an expensive car.

I want a car that's more expensive than yours. That's a weird thing to say, but at the core, that's what a lot of people want. And so being content, to answer your question, is moving from the external benchmark of comparing myself to you and others and towards the internal benchmark of, as I said earlier, the only thing that's actually going to make me happy in life is my family, my health,

I want a car that's more expensive than yours. That's a weird thing to say, but at the core, that's what a lot of people want. And so being content, to answer your question, is moving from the external benchmark of comparing myself to you and others and towards the internal benchmark of, as I said earlier, the only thing that's actually going to make me happy in life is my family, my health,

That's pretty much it. I think I can end it right there and put a period there and say that's what's going to make me happy. It's the internal benchmark. It's not comparing what I have to what you have. It's just if nobody else was looking, would I be happy with this? Because the truth is nobody else is looking.

That's pretty much it. I think I can end it right there and put a period there and say that's what's going to make me happy. It's the internal benchmark. It's not comparing what I have to what you have. It's just if nobody else was looking, would I be happy with this? Because the truth is nobody else is looking.

Right. What would you do? If nobody was watching, what kind of life would you live? And I think in that life, would you want a Ferrari or would you want a Toyota pickup truck that has utility, that actually makes your life easier kind of thing? There's a great thing that I heard a couple of years ago, which is that a high-end Toyota is a much nicer car than an entry-level BMW. Oh, yeah.

Right. What would you do? If nobody was watching, what kind of life would you live? And I think in that life, would you want a Ferrari or would you want a Toyota pickup truck that has utility, that actually makes your life easier kind of thing? There's a great thing that I heard a couple of years ago, which is that a high-end Toyota is a much nicer car than an entry-level BMW. Oh, yeah.

Because a high-end Toyota is like, you've got the cushy seats and the moonroof and the good sound system. An entry-level BMW is just status, or you think it's status. You're buying it for the chance that you're going to influence somebody else's view of who you are. And people massively overestimate how much it's going to actually influence other people.

Because a high-end Toyota is like, you've got the cushy seats and the moonroof and the good sound system. An entry-level BMW is just status, or you think it's status. You're buying it for the chance that you're going to influence somebody else's view of who you are. And people massively overestimate how much it's going to actually influence other people.

Yeah, because life is always a competition for resources. It always has been. There's a limited amount of food, a limited amount of land, a limited amount of mates, a limited amount of potential. And so what has mattered historically is not whether I'm a good hunter, it's whether I'm a better hunter than you.

Yeah, because life is always a competition for resources. It always has been. There's a limited amount of food, a limited amount of land, a limited amount of mates, a limited amount of potential. And so what has mattered historically is not whether I'm a good hunter, it's whether I'm a better hunter than you.