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Empty-Brain Happy-Brain: Pioneers of Emptiness
The Greeks, Zen Masters, Buddha, and Philosophers of Emptiness
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Dictatorship of Desire
“Man still prefers to want nothingness, rather than not to want at all.”
— Friedrich Nietzsche
People and their brains always crave more, always chasing that next high. Even as they get older and the thrill starts to fade, that desire to want more doesn’t go away — it gets even stronger!
Every time you go after something positive and achieve it, even if it doesn’t feel super satisfying, your attraction to that thing actually grows.
Your brain tricks you into thinking, ‘That wasn’t great, but the next time will definitely be better.’
This is what explains things like addiction or that mindset of a ‘lecherous old man’ — we end up wanting these things more, even if they give us less joy over time.
It sounds a bit wild, but that’s how our brains are wired.
It makes sense from an evolutionary standpoint. When we feel vulnerable, we tend to push ourselves harder, thinking it will help us survive better.
