Our hollow culture
Old Happy culture tells us the same story, over and over again: if you achieve these specific things, you will find lasting happiness.
Yet the evidence doesn't back this up. In fact, the pursuit of achievement — the cultural obsession we have with it — can make us very unhappy.
It's great to have goals. But make sure they don't leave you feeling hollow.
Think of a goal you have set for yourself. Ask yourself: why am I pursuing this?
Is it to bolster my ego? To win in a competition against others? To prove that I am good enough? Because I was told that getting it would make me happy?
Or is it to express myself? To be in service to others? To make a meaningful contribution to our world? Because I'm enjoying the actual experience of pursuing it?
Aim for goals that satisfy the latter. Those will make you far happier than any societally-approved achievement ever could.
