Trying New Things Can Make You Happier
Metadata
Highlights
-
Openness to a wide variety of life experiences, from visiting interesting places to considering unusual political views, brings happiness. âOnly someone who is ready for everything, who doesnât exclude any experience, even the most incomprehensible,â Rainer Maria Rilke wrote in his Letters to a Young Poet, âwill himself sound the depths of his own being.â
- True happiness comes from a healthy, balanced neophilia that cultivates a love for the adventure of life.
- First, regularly interrogate your tastes, and run experiments. One common misconception is that our preferences are set in stone and thereâs no use trying to change themâespecially as we age and become grumpier about new things.
-
Second, make a point of choosing curiosity over comfort.
- Third, avoid the trap of newness for its own sake.
-
And therein lies a great secret to happinessâthe most important lesson about neophilia. The well-being associated with neophilia isnât actually about new things at all; it is about a hungerâfor life. To cultivate a healthy appetite for lifeâs offerings is to open your eyes to a world of abundance, beauty, sanctification, and adventure. And that just canât help but bring joy.