Welcome back to The Happiness Portfolio, I hope that thinking about different sources of joy has opened you up to the possibility of the benefit of searching out new sources of happiness. This newsletter, however, is for those who like me remained unconvinced.
Last week’s discussion of the importance of diversification might have come into conflict with a very common myth. That is, the idea that focusing on one particular area, especially one that you’re naturally gifted at, is the true path to happiness - otherwise known as the myth of specialization.
Today’s conversation will be focused on dispelling this myth through the economics of happiness, marginal return, and California’s most slept-on fruit.
Prompt: How can I use my tendency to take good things for granted to my benefit?
Perspective
Recently I was introduced to dates, not the shriveled-up, cotton mouth-inducing, empty husks of former glory that have spread like an invasive weed across grocery aisles everywhere. I mean mouthwatering, ecstasy-inducing, delicious, joyful, and overwhelming luxurious (sometimes shortened to Medjool) bundles of sweet natural caramel from California’s date farmers like Bautista Farms.
After this recent introduction, I became a full-fledged convert and couldn't get my hands on enough. Or so I thought.
Despite the overwhelming amount of joy each date provided me, I soon fell victim to the inevitable economic reality of each date I ate being slightly less magic than the last. This experience didn’t stop me from eating more dates than I should, I had a five-pound box to go through, but it does neatly demonstrate the concept of marginal returns. Despite being no worse than the first, the experience of each date was slightly diminished by each one that had come before it.
This same concept applies to all sources of happiness. We quickly grow accustomed to positive change and quickly revert back to our default state. The myth of specialization suggests that you continue to eat dates, since you enjoy them so, marginal return be damned.
One of the reasons this myth is so popular is that, like all good myths, it’s built on wisdom. Follow your passion and you’ll never work a day in your life. Instead of arguing against this line of logic, why not expand it?
Follow your passion and you’ll never work a day in your life. Instead of arguing against this line of logic, why not expand it?
If following your passion is beneficial in one area, in the above example career, wouldn’t it make sense to develop and follow passions in multiple areas? This is especially true if each additional amount of progress in a given area brings you slightly less happiness.
Practice
Spend five to ten minutes over the next two weeks reviewing your happiness portfolio and consider the following questions:
What does progress in each of these areas look like?
How often do you experience progress in each one?
Are you passionate about something in each area?
How often do you follow those passions?
Thanks for taking the time out of your Friday for our bi-weekly conversations and indulging my love of dates. They truly are nature’s candy, and while a unique pleasure raw I’ve also thoroughly enjoyed them with roasted almond butter.
Please send any date recipes my way by leaving a comment or replying to this email, and let’s plan on meeting back here in two weeks to talk about more myths.
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