Picture a squirrel, its cheeks bulging with nuts, but still trying to cram in just one...more...nut. Does it sound familiar? That's us – humans! We are driven by "more", even when our kitchen shelves are overflowing. "Another Pizza! Extra cheese! Double garlic butter crust!" Or scrolling through phones bursting with information which still is “Not enough! Not exciting!” It is endless! And unsatisfying. So, are we hardwired to crave more? Technically, yes! Our ancestors had to constantly seek for basic...
Hamster Wheel of Wanting More – “The Scarcity Loop”
Ever seen those clunky slot machines from the 70s? The ones that clattered like angry washing machines and offered about as much excitement as watching paint dry? Yeah, those snooze-fests. Fast forward to today, they are a symbol of fun times. AND a full-fledged industry benefiting the American economy by 30 billion dollars every year!How did this evolution happen? The code was cracked by an entrepreneur named Si Redd, sometime around the 1980s. Redd didn't just play around with gears...
The Evolution of Scarcity Mindset
Imagine a lever that sometimes drops a juicy crumb, but mostly just sighs with disappointment. Back in the 1940s, a scientist named B.F. Skinner watched rats tap, tap, tap that lever, obsessed with the thrill of the unknown reward of food. This wasn't just a rat thing, though. It was later confirmed by Thomas Zentall that almost all animals (that includes us humans, too, btw!) get hooked on compulsively wanting the unpredictable reward, be it a slot machine payout, or...
The Insatiable Echo of “I Want More”
Imagine life as a game of Tetris, where your goal is to build a stable, satisfying life. But instead of strategically fitting blocks, you're just shoving them in, piece after piece, until your tower crumbles under its own weight. That's the trap we fall into when we equate "more" with "better." And so, we chase this more blindly, forgetting the power of letting go. Aka subtraction!This lesson came home to the American scientist and author Leidy Klotz, not from his...
Decoding the Food Cravings
Imagine your pantry transformed into a time machine, overflowing with meals from every era of human history. Back in caveman days, dinner wasn't a casual supermarket stroll, but a full-time quest. Roots, grains, greens, some proteins and such was the daily diet. Healthy, but kinda boring and bland when you compare it to our indulgent, hyper-palatable options. Think cheeseburgers and shawarmas! Nowadays, our pantry explodes with candy bars, chips, and endless culinary options. But our brains still think every bite...
Chapter 7
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Summary
We live in a time of plenty, but often feel like we have nothing. This "scarcity mindset" makes us crave more and more, never feeling satisfied. It's time to switch! Focus on quality, depth, and lasting moments, not just constant grabbing. Less can be more. Ditch the clutter and distractions to find what truly matters. Do we let marketing and instincts control us, or choose what fills our precious time? Choose fulfilment. Break free from "never enough" and embrace "enough...
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About the Author
As a New York Times bestselling author, I’ve made a career of traveling the world to uncover practical ideas that help people live healthier, happier, and more remarkable lives. My research has taken me everywhere – from war zones to the Arctic to the Bolivian jungle. I’ve interviewed thousands of experts, from Nobel laureates to world-class athletes, and pored over countless studies to find the best science-backed tactics you can use to optimize your life.
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