Desire as Chosen Unhappiness

"Desire is a contract you make with yourself to be unhappy until you get what you want."

Naval treats this as the single most important Buddhist insight he's verified in himself.

The contract

• The instant you desire X, you've agreed: "I will be unhappy until X arrives."
• Most people sign hundreds of these contracts simultaneously and then wonder why they're unhappy.
• Acknowledged personal example: Naval orders a new car, then spends every night reading forums about it. "It's a silly object. I'm addicted to the desiring."

The fundamental delusion

"There is something out there that will make me happy and fulfilled forever."

• All looking-outside-yourself is the same delusion.
• This doesn't mean don't act — you're a living creature; you locally reverse entropy; self-actualize.
• It means: don't expect the external thing to deliver lasting peace.

Perfect your desires

"It's way more important to perfect your desires than to try to do something you don't 100% desire."

• Stay aware of which desires you're signing up for.
• Try not to have more than one big desire at a time — recognise that's the axis of your current suffering.
• The young pile on desires unknowingly; the old realise too late.

The trifecta of life resources

• Young: have time and health, no money.
• Middle-aged: have money and health, no time.
• Old: have money and time, no health.
• The trick is trying to get all three at once.

Related

• Happiness as Default State — desire is what blocks the default.
• Hedonic Treadmill — even when you get the thing, the desire restarts.
• Rational Buddhism — falsifiable spiritual frame for this.

Sources: [Almanack pp137-139]