Choosing Your Path: Status, Money, Truth, or Freedom?

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Choose Your Life Path Wisely

The key life games are status, money, truth, and freedom: which one shapes your path? Naval Ravikant emphasizes focusing on sustainable wealth creation while avoiding the status and money traps. In this post, I will go a step further and argue that we should consider, at least, two more crucial games—the freedom game and the truth game.

How do you choose the right game in life? Let's explore status, money, truth, and freedom to discover which ones are worth playing. While there can be some overlap among themes, most of us will naturally align more strongly with one of the four categories. I hope this provided food for thought. Which game have you been playing? Which game do you really want to play?

The Status Game.

Humans are hardwired to pursue status, as outlined in James Suzman’s 'Work: A History of How We Spend Our Time.' Status-seeking helped our ancestors secure resources and social standing. Suzman explained that our ancestors’ survival depended on their ability to navigate complex social hierarchies, and this evolutionary legacy still drives our pursuit of status today—it shapes the way we work, socialize, and make decisions.

Is status still relevant in today’s world of abundance and opportunity? In today's modern world, where technological advancements have largely met our basic needs, we find new challenges in pursuing fulfillment. The abundance of resources and opportunities today contrasts sharply to the scarcity faced by our ancestors. Moreover, today the world offers new avenues for status through social media, professional achievements, and consumerism, which intensify the desire for external validation. Pursuing status can result in stress, anxiety, and feelings of inadequacy due to constant social comparisons.

Don’t waste your time. While gaining status might feel rewarding in the short term, it often leads to a never-ending cycle that doesn't bring lasting happiness or peace of mind. This pursuit is largely outside of our control, as our status depends not only on our actions but also on the fluctuating status of others. Because the status game is zero-sum, where one gains at another’s expense, Stoic philosophy deems it a futile pursuit. Rather than seeking external validation, they would advise us instead to focus on what you can control, focusing on intrinsic values instead. Similarly, Naval Ravikant suggests that by consciously refusing to play the status game, we can achieve a more fulfilling and productive life, directing our energy towards meaningful accomplishments and personal growth rather than mere social approval.

The Money Game.

The allure of the money game is strong. Unlike status, money is a tangible resource that directly impact our quality of life. Historically, accumulating wealth was essential for security, stability, and comfort. Our cultural and economic systems fuel the desire to build wealth, commonly equated with success and personal capability. Many who pursue wealth relentlessly are deep down also chasing status—why do many unhappy, overworked multimillionaires continue to grind away? Often, it's about status—multimillionaires want to become decamillionaires, and centimillionaires aim to be billionaires.

The link between money and happiness is limited; research shows that beyond $75,000 annually, additional income has diminishing returns on happiness. According to Kahneman and Deaton (2010), beyond this point, higher income does not significantly enhance emotional well-being and life evaluation. There is nothing inherently wrong with money; it is an important tool we need to understand. It is the lust for money that is bad for you—its relentless chase may come at the cost of other aspects of life, such as relationships, health, and personal fulfillment. Like the status game, the goal posts in the money game constantly shift, and playing this game won’t bring lasting peace of mind either."

The Truth Game.

The truth game is intrinsically motivated. Unlike the status and money games, where the focus is on external validation or material wealth, this game is driven by a profound passion for uncovering truths and solving problems. The truth game attracts intrinsically motivated individuals who pursue knowledge and create meaning for its own sake, without external rewards. Examples could include artists, scientists, or writers driven by curiosity and creativity, who are not motivated by the money or status games.

The journey is as important as the destination. The truth game emphasizes the importance of authenticity, intellectual integrity, and personal growth, and offers a path to deep satisfaction and purpose that transcends the superficial rewards of status or money. Artists often devote years to perfecting their craft, driven by an intrinsic need to share their creative vision. A scientist may be fuelled by solving complex problems and advancing human understanding. A writer may find fulfillment in the act of creation and the impact their words can have on their readers. In the end, the truth game provides a profound sense of purpose that can lead to lasting fulfillment.

The Freedom Game.

The freedom game centers on autonomy and personal liberty, empowering individuals to make unencumbered choices, unlike the status and money games. Players of this game seek to maximize control over their time, enabling them to pursue a lifestyle that aligns with their values and passions. For them, true wealth isn’t about money, but about having control over your time.

A key component of happiness. Studies consistently show that greater control over one’s life directly correlates with higher life satisfaction and overall well-being. People are often less happy today because they have relinquished control of their time to external demands and distractions, such as jobs, social media and consumer culture.

How do you win the freedom game? Many individuals, especially millenials and Gen Z are increasingly prioritizing work-life balance, mental well-being, and the pursuit of passions over traditional career paths. It’s not surprising to find that workers aged 18 to 34 are 59 percent more willing than older colleagues to leave their job if hybrid working conditions are removed. For Millennials and Gen Z, freedom and purpose are essential components of a fulfilling life, often prioritized over status or wealth.

Whatever works for you. Taken to the extreme, winning the freedom game means achieving financial independence, where invested assets cover monthly expenses without needing a paycheck. However, we don’t have to take it to the extreme. Freedom means different things to different people, and it is up to each individual to find what works best for them.

Enjoyed this post? Don’t miss our insights on reaching your first $100K investment milestone and mastering the 4% rule to achieve financial independence.

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