Today, let's explore some quotes shared by Dan Ariely.
Giving up on our long-term goals for immediate gratification, my friends, is procrastination.
A nudge to the marshmallow experiment all over again. Delayed gratification is a metric linked with success in life. Multiple studies agree.
We usually think of ourselves as sitting the driver's seat, with ultimate control over the decisions we made and the direction our life takes; but, alas, this perception has more to do with our desires-with how we want to view ourselves-than with reality
A reminder that the only things we can truly control is maybe how we respond to events. And that is enough most of the time.
In a modern democracy, he said, people are beset not by a lack of opportunity, but by a dizzying abundance of it.
This also makes me think of the illusion of choice.
A substantial amount of research over the past decade has reinforced the idea that although internal happiness can deviate from its "resting state" in reaction to life events, it usually returns toward its baseline over time.
I believe that the term "resting state" here pertains more to a state of contentment rather than happiness most of the time. As remarkable creatures, we can adapt even to the most extraordinary events.
Most people don't know what they want unless they see it in context. We don't know what kind of racing bike we want—until we see a champ in the Tour de France ratcheting the gears on a particular model. We don't know what kind of speaker system we like—until we hear a set of speakers that sounds better than the previous one. We don't even know what we want to do with our lives—until we find a relative or a friend who is doing just what we think we should be doing
And the ones who know, I think, are closer to understanding what quality is.
"One percent of people will always be honest and never steal," the locksmith said. "Another one percent will always be dishonest and always try to pick your lock and steal your television. And the rest will be honest as long as the conditions are right - but if they are tempted enough, they'll be dishonest too. Locks won't protect you from the thieves, who can get in your house if they really want to. They will only protect you from the mostly honest people who might be tempted to try your door if it had no lock
Is it better to be in the 98% or the other 2%? When re-reading this quote, I jumped to Andrzej Sapkowski's quote: "Evil is Evil. Lesser, greater, middling… Makes no difference. The degree is arbitrary. The definition’s blurred. If I’m to choose between one evil and another… I’d rather not choose at all.”
The danger of expecting nothing is that, in the end, it might be all we'll get
I will not settle for mediocrity; I strive for excellence and demand things to go as planned.
