Tipping Point Of Satisfaction

Staying unhappy or dissatisfied until you get what you want. I think that’s fine as long as you do get happy when you get what you want. But do you? Most often, when one desire is fulfilled, another one emerges.

Cars lose their shine in a couple of months. A new iPhone is launched every year. Fashion trends don’t last more than a few weeks. The market is continuously compelling you to want more and more things.

So, is there a point when you stop wanting more? Or are you bound to run on this hedonic treadmill endlessly?

Not an easy question to answer because it is highly subjective. But I can at least toss a personal observation at you.

For me, this tipping point of satisfaction definitely exists. It is the point of freedom, the point when fulfilling the desire becomes a matter of choice and not effort. It is the point when my potential has outgrown the desire.

Let me explain with a simplistic example. Every Sunday I come to this cafe. They offer at least 50 kinds of beverages and I’ve tried at least 20. Just this ability to choose any drink I like has effectively removed the craving I used to have in the beginning. I don’t feel like ordering the most fancy coffee now. I am satisfied with the simple Latte.

If you told me that I could order just one coffee and never again, I’d surely have given the barista a hard time by maxing out the customization options.

So coffee is one example of a desire that I can fulfil easily and frequently. This ease of fulfilment leads to satisfaction. I won’t go out there looking for better quality or new flavors. I’ve had enough.

On the other end of the spectrum, think of travel. I took my last flight two years ago. That’s not frequent. Travel is something that requires a tremendous amount of effort, whether it is money or research or the inevitable discomfort.

So travel is the kind of desire that I haven’t quite outgrown, that I’m not satisfied with. When will I be though? When I visit 10 countries? 25 maybe? No. The number of countries doesn’t matter. What matters is the freedom.

The freedom to choose where to travel, when to travel, with whom to travel and for how long. Or as a simple and fun heuristic, I want to buy flight tickets like I buy coffee. When I’m able to do that, I know I will be content.

Depending on where you stand on the spectrum, I think you can outgrow your desire for clothes, jewelry, cars, mansions, holidays, relationships, awards, or anything that keeps you up at night. You can reach the tipping point of satisfaction.

It’s kind of annoying how soon we get bored of the thing we wanted for so long. Though sometimes, there comes a point when I’ve had enough and just don’t want more. The reason I’ve tried to explain in this essay.

However, I don’t think this idea is universal and applies to everyone. Cause while writing the essay, I could think of a number of people who won’t settle for anything. The kind of people who upgrade their phones every year.

Were you able to resonate though? Have you experienced something similar? Let me know by replying to this email or commenting on the website, or both ;)

I’ll catch you next week!
Aachman