Why You Always Crave MORE — And How to Rewire Your Brain For Happiness | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Adding more resources and elements is the default mindset, but subtracting and simplifying can often lead to better solutions.

Key Insights

• 🥺 More is not always better; adding more can lead to negative outcomes.
• ❓ The mantra "simplify to amplify" challenges our default mindset and encourages considering subtraction as a solution.
• 😨 Adding more is often a result of a scarcity mindset and the fear of decline or stagnation.
• 🛀 The study shows that humans are wired to add rather than subtract, even when subtraction is the better solution.
• 🥺 Subtraction can lead to improved stability and provide resources for other purposes.
• 🧠 Our brains default to adding because it was evolutionarily beneficial in the past.
• 👯 Most people overlook subtraction as a valuable problem-solving tool.

Transcript

I can't tell you how many times in my career I've made the mistake of thinking more is better and it's like oh we need to have more team members we need to have more products we need to have more offerings we need to have more content do you know what I mean having some type of comparative thing where I may have looked out on the landscape and said... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: Why do we tend to default to adding more instead of considering subtraction as a solution?

The default to add more is often driven by a scarcity mindset. When something that we have been measuring and relying on starts to decline or become stagnant, we naturally feel the need to do something about it, leading to the impulse to add more.

Q: Can you provide an example of the power of subtracting instead of adding?

In a study conducted by an engineering professor, participants were given a bridge made of Legos that needed to be stabilized. Despite being informed that subtraction was a valid solution, everyone defaulted to adding more Legos. However, removing blocks proved to be the better solution, as it improved stability and provided more resources for other purposes.

Q: How did the study demonstrate that humans are wired to add more?

Through eight different experiments, participants were consistently inclined to add elements to solve problems, regardless of being aware that subtraction was a valid option. This indicates that humans have a default tendency to add without considering subtraction as a solution.

Q: Why do humans default to adding elements rather than subtracting?

Humans have evolved in a landscape where resources were scarce, making the instinct to add more valuable. Until recent times, there was no evolutionary benefit to subtracting or reducing resources. Therefore, our brains are wired to default to adding as a survival mechanism.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Many individuals, including the speaker, have made the mistake of believing that more team members, products, and content is better.

• However, in practice, adding more often leads to negative outcomes.

• The mantra "simplify to amplify" can help challenge our default mindset and lead to more desired outcomes.