A peek into the mind of a sleep deprived software developer, husband, dad and gamer.

Advice on Happiness and Contentment from Car Enthusiasts on Reddit

Cars Won't Make You Happy – Gears and Gasoline — I ran into this discussion on Reddit, when I was trying to figure out why my dream car was no longer a dream car for me. I expected to find good advice centered on cars and I did. What I didn't expect to find though, was advice on how to be happy and content with what you have in life. Below are some of my takeaways from this wonderful and enlightening thread on Reddit.

If you like it, don't seek validation.
~ Source

“If you like it, don't seek validation.” — I love that thought. Clearly this applies to not just cars, but to everything in life. If you like something, that should be enough for you. Don't ruin it by seeking validation for what you already like.

Seeking validation from others is like any other drug, there's a temporary high, but once it wears out you just need more of it just to get back to your baseline—and that's simply unsustainable.
~ Source

Exactly. It's unsustainable. This is that same vicious cycle that I talked about in this post.

I wasn’t happy and staring at that yellow lemon in my garage just made it hurt. That car helped me grow. It doesn’t matter how much hp you have, no matter how usable or unusable it is. It doesn’t matter how cool your car looks or sounds. Cars won’t make you happy until you’re satisfied with what you have and you’re satisfied with yourself.
~ Source

Let's read that again. “Cars won’t make you happy until you’re satisfied with what you have and you’re satisfied with yourself.”

Now let's switch the word “Cars” for some other hobby or earthly goods/values that we normally obsess with:

I can go on and on, but I believe you see the point I'm trying to make. Nothing in this life can truly give us contentment, unless we are satisfied with ourselves and what we already have.

And finally my last takeaway.

This applies to literally everything in life. There will always, always be someone who – at least in perception – has more than you do. A better house, car, lifestyle, job. The less we compare ourselves to others the better life is. Period.

I test drove a pre-owned dream car this week. Loved it. Then realized the 2021 version has updated head and tail lights, and felt my excitement for the car I drove fade. Back of my mind, I was less excited about a car I genuinely enjoy because someone might notice it’s not a current-year car. What a fucking dumb way to think. But it’s actually hard to break out of it.
~ Source

I once ran into a quote that said something like, “Comparison is the thief of joy”. Ain't that what's on full display here? The guys on this Reddit thread are right. If you want to be happy and content, stop seeking external validation and stop comparing yourselves to others.

If you made it this far, I appreciate you taking the time to read my post. This is most likely my last post for the year, in which case, I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Tags: #Bookmarks #Contentment #Detachment #GearsAndGasoline

Discuss... or leave me a comment below.