#702 - 16 Lessons From 700 Episodes
Modern Wisdom
The Impact of Expectations and Comparison on Happiness
Our expectations determine our happiness more than our circumstances because humans are comparative beings. We judge our own happiness based on how it compares to others, including our parents and society. This intergenerational competition theory leads to feelings of dissatisfaction and envy. We often only see the highlight reel of others' lives, which makes us believe they are doing better than they really are. The delta between where we are and where we imagine others to be causes us pain. In reality, there is no such thing as objective wealth, as everything is relative to those around us.
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