Happiness Is a Choice / Peace Is Happiness at Rest
Naval Ravikant · 2020
"Happiness is a skill and a choice, not a destination reached through achievement — and peace, not excitement, is the state to optimize for, since 'peace is happiness at rest, and happiness is peace in motion.'"
Naval separates peace and happiness: peace is a stable baseline state — an absence of desire or want in the moment — while happiness is the more active, 'in motion' experience layered on top of that baseline. His claim is that most people chase happiness directly, through achievement, acquisition, or stimulation, without first building the peaceful baseline that would let happiness actually register and last, rather than immediately reverting to a dissatisfied set point.
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Seek Wealth, Not Money or Status
"Wealth (assets that earn while you sleep) is distinct from money (a transfer of time and wealth) and status (a zero-sum position in a social hierarchy) — and only wealth creation is a positive-sum game worth optimizing for."