The perils of achievement

The perils of achievementThe perils of achievementA lot of the things we want in lifestemfrom ourneed for stability.Most young people make critical decisions about their future lives and careers based on factors that they assume will give them somesense of predictability.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreSimilarly, many adults strive for financial freedom, sothey dont have to think of money as something thatdeters them from fully controlling their lives.We dream about the white picket fence, a secure job,and a nice car or two in the garage so that we can be aya that we have some sort of foundation on which to build our lives.We needsecurity, and we crave order, and we make a quiet presumption that our achievements will get us there.It makes sense, too. If we didnt have this orientation and if we didnt have a solid foundation, wed be continuously exposed to chaos and uncertainty, a nd we would have a much harder time feeling grounded and safe.There are many people that dont have any sort of stability in their lives - people that are poor or people without strong career prospects, for example - that we can look to who reassure us that these things are worth having.Yet, in a world where, fortunately, more people than not have some kind of groundedfoundation providing this stability, we still see large-scale dissatisfaction, boredom, and a general sense of purposelessness.This sense of dissatisfaction, boredom, and purposelessness may be temporarilysubduedwhen we find ourselves striving for the next thing that we presume will bring us stability, but for many, its still not too far away.What exactly are we missing?The Hidden Curse of AchievementLets break down the process of achievement into two different states.There isa state of strivingwhere we are moving and working towards a goal. And then there isa state of accomplishmentafter having achieved said goal, th us achieving a fasson of stability.The general assumption we all make is that achieving this stability is what will make us satisfied.After all, that is the hidden purpose behind whatever goals we choose to define when we decide that we want something.First, we decide that a particular future will make ushappier. Then, we choose a particular aim which we feel will allow us to experience said future. Finally, we tischset ourselves on our way to figuring out how to get to that goal.By definition, then,when we are striving - which is most of the time- we are in a state of instability.When we accomplish something, we gain ourselves stability. Thats howmost of us intuitively think and feel about this process.Except, thatsnothow it really works.The paradox is that achieving a goal is what leads to instability, whereas thestate of striving provides stability.Once we accomplish something, we lose our sense of orientation and get swayed towards the chaos that we naturally fear.On the other hand,while there is discomfort inthe act of striving- which we confuse for instability - its ironically the only thingthat actually keeps us grounded over time.Being in a state of unquestioned movement is what protects us from feeling that we are without a foundation.Achievement, however, is static. Once acquired, it fades towards instability.Volatility as a Measure of Well-BeingIn finance,volatility is essentially a measure of how much the returns of an asset are expected to deviate. Its the variation in price over a set period.The daily difference between the closing price of a stock, for example, could be something you might measure the volatility of. If it deviates a lot, then the volatility of that stock is high. If it doesnt deviate much, then its low.According to the author and statistician Nassim Taleb,systems of any kind with no volatility are bad at absorbing shocks, and thus fragile.Systems with some day to day volatile, however, can use such movement to absorb shocks well, and sometimes, even benefit from them. Its what he callsantifragility.When we are in a state of striving, we are constantly on the move over a sustained period of time. Some days, we move a lot. Other days, not so much.On a day to day basis, this movement may even be uncomfortable, but over time, it keeps us stable by protecting us from the chaos of disorientation.In a state of accomplishment, however, we dont move much at all. Weve achieved what we wanted to, assuming we have acquired a sense of stability.On a day to day basis, we may even enjoy this lack of movement, but over time, if the lack of orientation catches up to us, it immediately throws us into a state of instability, causing damage that we dont even see coming.Humans, like most systems of the world, need a degree of volatility to stay healthyand being in a position where you have everything you could ever want makes you fragile to the instability that we instinctively aim to avoid.Not having every luxury of stabi lity, ironically, is what keeps us stable.Wheres theBalance?Naturally, no matter what the system, too much volatility can itself be harmful. Having some sort of a foundation is necessary.If we dont completely limit downside, then that same volatility can shock itself out of temporary and varying instability into complete chaos.Humans need some foundation of achievement, and we obviously need many of our basic needs met in order to have a shot at contentment. Getting some of the things we want is healthy and important.That said,the assumption that once we have everything we can imagine and want, we will be satisfied beyond our current level is more than flawed.While things like complete financial freedom or a career that goes perfectly according to plan can bring a lot of joy and value to many people, these same things can also indirectly cause a lot of misery.And they often do.Its easy to see how not having enough can be an issue, but its even easier to overlook how getting what you want might be similarly problematic.Sometimes, what you dont have is just as important as what you do have.This article first appeared on Design Luck.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people