Eric-Jorgenson The-Almanack-of-Naval-Ravikant indd

DESIRE IS
TO BE UNHAPPY
UNTIL YOU GET
DESIRE
WHAT
YOU
WANT.
IS A CONTRACT
THAT YOU MAKE
WITH YOURSELF
EVERY DESIRE IS A CHOSEN UNHAPPINESS
I think the most common mistake for humanity is believ-
ing you’re going to be made happy because of some external 
circumstance. I know that’s not original. That’s not new. It’s 
fundamental Buddhist wisdom—I’m not taking credit for it. I 
think I really just recognize it on a fundamental level, includ-
ing in myself.
We bought a new car. Now, I’m waiting for the new car to arrive. 
Of course, every night, I’m on the forums reading about the car. 
Why? It’s a silly object. It’s a silly car. It’s not going to change 
my life much or at all. I know the instant the car arrives I won’t 
care about it anymore. The thing is, I’m addicted to the desir-
ing. I’m addicted to the idea of this external thing bringing 
me some kind of happiness and joy, and this is completely 
delusional.

---

138 · T H E A L M A N A C K O F N A V A L R A V I K A N T
Looking outside yourself for anything is the fundamental delu-
sion. Not to say you shouldn’t do things on the outside. You 
absolutely should. You’re a living creature. There are things 
you do. You locally reverse entropy. That’s why you’re here.
You’re meant to do something. You’re not just meant to lie there 
in the sand and meditate all day long. You should self-actualize. 
You should do what you are meant to do.
The idea you’re going to change something in the outside world, 
and that is going to bring you the peace, everlasting joy, and 
happiness you deserve, is a fundamental delusion we all suffer 
from, including me. The mistake over and over and over is to 
say, “Oh, I’ll be happy when I get that thing,” whatever it is. That 
is the fundamental mistake we all make, 24/7, all day long. [4]
The fundamental delusion: There is something out there that 
will make me happy and fulfilled forever.
Desire is a contract you make with yourself to be unhappy 
until you get what you want. I don’t think most of us realize 
that’s what it is. I think we go about desiring things all day long 
and then wonder why we’re unhappy. I like to stay aware of it, 
because then I can choose my desires very carefully. I try not 
to have more than one big desire in my life at any given time, 
and I also recognize it as the axis of my suffering. I realize the 
area where I’ve chosen to be unhappy. [5]
Desire is a contract you make with yourself to be unhappy 
until you get what you want.

---

L E A R N I N G H A P P I N E S S · 139
One thing I’ve learned recently: it’s way more important to per-
fect your desires than to try to do something you don’t 100 
percent desire. [1]
When you’re young and healthy, you can do more. By doing 
more, you’re actually taking on more and more desires. You 
don’t realize this is slowly destroying your happiness. I find 
younger people are less happy but more healthy. Older people 
are more happy but less healthy.
When you’re young, you have time. You have health, but you 
have no money. When you’re middle-aged, you have money 
and you have health, but you have no time. When you’re old, 
you have money and you have time, but you have no health. So 
the trifecta is trying to get all three at once.
By the time people realize they have enough money, they’ve 
lost their time and their health. [8]
SUCCESS DOES NOT EARN HAPPINESS
Happiness is being satisfied with what you have.
Success comes from dissatisfaction. Choose.