The Algebra Of Happiness Kids
Keep your kids close and makes small investments every day to build up your relationships with your kids. Think about when you die, who do you want to be around you supporting you with your last breathe. You want your kids there dont you? Treat them nicely now and they will be there when you go.
You never know true love until you have kids. Do whats best for them even if its doing something you hate because those things now are just inconveniences in the presence of the people you love.
Sustenance > Addictive Substances
Receiving rewards that are random, unpredictable, and immediate can fuel addiction. People are wired to be addicted to food, sex, and kids as they are necessary for survival. As kids can be an addictive substance to their parents, Scott Galloway believes that instead, his love will provide sustenance to his children. No matter what, parents give the predictable reward of love more so any other relationship.
My Key Takeaways From The Algebra Of Happiness By Scott Galloway
As one of my new years resolutions, I planned on reading one book per month. Unfortunately, I started a few books but did not get to finish those books yet . This is the only book that I actually finished in the first quarter.
Scott Galloway is a marketing professor at NYU and is famous for his book The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google .
This book was an easy read with a lot of intuitive diagrams throughout the book. In this note, I will share my key takeaways from the book.
Also Check: What Is Framing In Psychology
The Algebra Of Happiness Is Such A Fun Bluntly Honest Read
Have you read a fun nonfiction book? There are plenty of interesting, informative, and fun nonfiction books but none that are as fun as The Algebra of Happiness by Scott Galloway. I want to thank Portfolio Penguin for sending me a copy of this fun book for an honest review.
Galloway is best known for The Four and if youve read that then youll want to know that The Algebra of Happiness is a different kind of book. Its like Galloway took notes from his journal, including all the blunt honesty and humor that WILL make you laugh out loud and sometimes CRINGE while reading it.
You dont have to take everything seriously because it is Galloways personal observations. He mentions this right up front and says take it or leave it. The topics delve deep into love, wealth, health, and death, basically all aspects of what we call life. So theres something here for everyone.
The Algebra Of Happiness Success
Galloway is a professor of business and has had decades of experience running failed and successful businesses. So its great to see his personal thoughts on the subject of success. After all, each persons definition of success is different.
Heres a list of some of my favorite takeaways from the SUCCESS section of the book:
is a myth that tells you that in order to become successful you must be miserable before you can be successful. In fact, you can experience a lot of reward on the way to success. Basically, dont be miserable, and if you are, do something about it.
-The world is not yours for the taking, but for the trying.
-The world doesnt belong to the big, but to the fast. You want to cover more ground in less time than your peers.
-Spend more timesweating than others do.
-Opportunity is a function of density. Get to a place thats crowded with success.
Money can buy happiness up to a certain point. Once you get up to that certain point more money wont matter.
Invest in the things that give you satisfaction and joy.
-The definition of rich is having passive income twice the amount greater than your money going out.
-Invest in experiences over things.
Recommended Reading: What Is Chemistry Between People
Lesson : If You Prepare Well When Youre Young Recognizing The Tradeoffs Between Work And Relationships You Will Be Happier Throughout Your Life
Lets take another look at our previous example. If X + Y = 9, then whatever X and Y are have to add up to be 9. But if X is higher, like 7 or 8, then Y must be lower, at 2 or 1 for X + Y = 9 to be true. The same is true for your life. Playing too much when youre young leads to having to work a lot when youre older. But if you sacrifice your time and energy in your youth to work hard, then you can relax in your old age.
It may be too simplistic to only use two variables to describe the equation for happiness, though. There are many variables at play, all of which have tradeoffs. Take someone who works 80-hour weeks, for example. They cant devote as much time to their relationships as someone only working 40-hours a week. If the person working 80-hours a week were to experience a health crisis, they may end up alone on their deathbed. Its all about balance.
We must take care of our relationships, too. They are the highest source of joy. Say you do work hard and earn a lot of money. What is it worth without people in your life to enjoy it with? Carefully monitor the tradeoffs you are making at each stage in your life. Doing so will ensure that you always have balance.
Trade Closeness For Harmony
Instead of being close with dysfunctional relationships with your family, strive to be harmonious. Scott Galloway shares that his dad, sister, and he are low maintenance, drama-free, and benefit to each others lives. Additionally, be a caregiver to your parents, children, and others the number of people you love and care for is the strongest signal about how long youll live.
Recommended Reading: What Is Homeostasis In Psychology
Lesson : To Be Happy Find The Right Partner And Work Hard To Keep Your Relationship Strong
As mentioned before, what good does making a lot of money do if youre alone your whole life? The deepest happiness comes from creating quality relationships and making them last. Search for a partner who is emotionally stable, likes you for who you are, and aligns with your beliefs.
When I met my wife I instantly knew that we were compatible. She exuded emotional stability and loved to talk about the things that I did. Best of all, she laughed at even my dumbest jokes. And she still does today, after multiple years of marriage!
Once you are in these relationships the trick is to keep them strong for life. Its easy to fall in love with being in love. But those feelings eventually leave every relationship.
Real, lasting love, and the happiness that comes from it, is more slow and constant. To keep your love strong, dont keep score of positive or negative actions. Competition breeds contention, which disintegrates relationships and happiness. Develop the habit of forgiveness and your relationships will last.
Lesson : When You Reach Financial Security Change Your Focus To Enjoy Your Hard
What good does money do if youre not going to enjoy the freedom it earns? Its hard to let yourself relax after all of your hard work. But doing so is a necessary step in the equation for happiness. Why do you want to make a lot of money? Is it just to be rich or to make enough that you dont have to keep making more money? If you do it right, youll have the freedom to work less and give more time and attention to your relationships and passions.
Its difficult to release your grip on the corporate world because after many years of practice youre likely at your peak state in your career. If youre a Type A personality like me, that may sound especially difficult. Youve not only become the best at what you do, but your drive to constantly improve is also strong.
But think hard back to the beginning of your journey. Youll remember that your family and their happiness is the reason you started all of it in the first place. Relax and enjoy some time with them.
One friend of the author named David Carey chose to quit at the peak of his work in the publishing industry. When questioned why he made this decision even in his young age, Carey responded: I want to help young people, and Im sick of firing my friends.
Recommended Reading: Is Chemistry Hard In High School
Key Lesson #: Get Ahead While Youre Young
Work hard while youre young. The slope of you career is unfairly set in your first five years of working. Galloway suggests we need to work hard to make that trajectory steep in our early working years.
The world does not belong to the big, but to the fast. You want to cover more ground in less time than your peers. This is partially built on talent, but mostly on strategy and endurance.
Embrace compound interest. We should embrace the benefits of compound interest from an early age, not only in investing, but as an overarching principle for self-improvement. Marginal gains accumulate into life-changing successes when consistently delivered over the long run.
Equity = Wealth. We should own our slice of the economy as early as possible. Galloway suggests that we shouldnt have more than one third of our assets in any one asset class when younger than forty and we should focus on passive income over the long run.
Always be in the stock market, because you arent smart enough to predict when to jump in and out on your own.
Credentials + Zip Code = Money. Being in an economic growth zone and having educational credentials are sadly very good predictors of how much money you will make over the next decade. Position yourself accordingly.
The Algebra Of Happiness Business
Stay Thirsty. Talent is key, but it will only gain you entrance to a crowded VIP room.
-Dont follow your passion blindly or at all depending on the passion. You should do something that people will pay you to do, something that doesnt suck, and something youre good at. By having all three of these things you will become passionate.
Boring is sexy. Invest in something that is proven to be sustainable.
-Always get the easy stuff right. Show up on time, have good manners and follow up with people.
-You are not Mark Zuckerberg
-Nothing wonderful will happen without taking a risk and subjecting yourself to rejection.
-Train yourself to take calculated risks every day.
Read Also: How To Study For Physics In College
Believe You Deserve It
About 70 percent of Americans experience Impostor Syndrome, which is the belief that you are not as competent as others perceive you to be. Even at award ceremonies, Scott Galloway still feels some insecurity, but he cuts himself slack and embraces the achievement. When experiencing Imposter Syndrome yourself, take it easy and understand that you have earned it through hard work, risks, and help along the journey.
The Most Important Decision You Will Make
This important decision is who you chose to partner with for the rest of your life. Those who have the right spouse or life partner shares the following three things:
- Passion are physically attracted to each other
- Values have alignment regarding religion, family, children, responsibilities, etc.
- Money share expectations about contribution, sacrifices, spending, saving, etc.
You May Like: What Kind Of Math Is On The Tabe Test
Why We Loved It
Its delivered in the true Galloway style: dry-witted, self-deprecating, pithy, honest. Its a book that transcends marketing and tech, offering tips for living a meaningful life.
While its definitely delivered through the singular lens of Galloways own experiences and can at times feel a little one-size-fits-all The Algebra of Happiness is littered with gold nuggets of advice and insight from a man who has made mistakes and learned from them, who is supremely intelligent yet doesnt take his luck for granted.
Its short. It will take you a mere day or two to make it cover to cover if you try hard enough, and while we love a weighty tome in the #MarketingBookClub its nice to enjoy some precise prose that packs a mighty punch.
What Makes Me Happy
Pay special attention to things that bring you joy that dont involve mind-altering substances or a lot of money Being in the zone is happiness. You lose the sense of time, forget yourself, and feel part of something larger.
I have made one of the biggest transitions in my life last year as I moved from South Korea to the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. The first half was extremely hectic as I was adjusting to the new environment. Now I feel more settled in and I have more time to focus on myself. I am not so sure what would be the things that I completely lose myself and am truly happy This is concerning because I am the person who is most responsible for my well-being. I should start paying closer attention to the things that I enjoy outside of my work that adds more color to who I am.
What do I enjoy in my personal life? I enjoy any sort of writing, doing yoga, having a good cup of coffee in the morning or a fragrant cup of tea at night, a serene time during meditation, hiking with my husband during the weekend, cuddling with my cat , watching my favorite RomCom movies and reading good books. These are my few favorite things to do. Lets consciously make time for my favorite things to be happier!
Don’t Miss: How To Be Happy Psychology
Book Summary: The Key Lessons
#1: Get ahead while youre young. Your early working years are the most important for setting yourself up for future success, wealth and happiness. Invest, embrace compound interest, work hard, and avoid unrewarding status games.
#2: Your partner is your most important life decision. Your choice of partner in life is the most important determinant of your future success and happiness. Out-of-sync relationships make everything harder.
#3: You dont have to follow your passion. Dont get sucked into the narrative of following your passion. Find something youre good at and become great at it. Once youre great at it, the emotional and economic rewards of being great at it will make you passionate about it.
#4: Stay fit, present and grateful. Exercise regularly, develop the ability to be truly present in the moment, and cultivate gratitude. All of these things are strongly correlated with greater happiness.
What To Do If You Think You Might Be In A Bubble
Companies started in recessions are more successful as people, property, and services are cheaper. However, those firms founded in booming economics struggle as everything is more expensive and competitive. If you think a crash is imminent, do the following:
- Know When to Sell: Sell assets that hold most of your wealth into cash and strive for diversification.
- Have Cash: Have most of your money in cash to be safe.
- Be Humble: Having humility will help you live within your means and prepare you financially and psychologically.
You May Like: Big Ideas Math Geometry 4.5 Answers
Get Lost In The Moment
Living to be 100 requires having good genes, having a healthy lifestyle, and loving others. However, the X factor is the tragic situations that arise out of our control for no reason. Therefore, we need to find the balance between delayed gratification and living in the moment:
- Delaying Gratification when you resist the short-term temptation for later rewards, so you to build a better tomorrow for yourself, your family, and others
- Live In the Moment when you focus your attention on what is happening now, so you are present with people and enjoy the current activities
All These Questions Scott Galloway Tries To Answer
Scott is a professor and an author. He doesnt have a degree or any formal education. Hes just a guy and thats why hes easy to get along with. Scott teaches a class, if it goes well he makes a video, if that goes well he writes a book. Thats happened a couple times now.
The class he teach is on these four companies: Google, Apple, Amazon, and Facebook. Which ends up being the perfect introductory into the new world of business.
Recommended Reading: Special Right Triangles Geometry Worksheet
The Book Is Even Better But Watch The Video Below
After I watched the talk I had to buy the book. Its great, he elaborates on a lot of what he talks about in his presentation. I think most of all I appreciate his attitude. He doesnt sugar coat things, he talks about how he was depressed and how his sister had to call him out on it. He created the Algebra of happiness for himself, so he could understand how to finally be happy.
Invest Early And Often
Take a ton of pictures, text your friends stupid things, check in with old friends as often as possible, express admiration to coworkers, and every day, tell as many people as you can that you love them. A couple of minutes every day the payoff is small at first, and then its immense.
This is seriously something that I should try to do more of. Now that I am physically distant from my family and some of my closest friends in Korea , I do not keep in touch with them as often. It is also sad that we are gradually losing more common ground. I have some precious people in my life that I have tons of unforgettable memories of. I should try to reach out to them more frequently to let them know that I care for them and love them no matter what.
Don’t Miss: What Is The Geography Of Connecticut