How to Stop Chasing Status and Find a Fulfilling Life Path

Jun 7

Woman sitting on a mountaintop, reflecting on life's choices and paths at sunrise. A visual representation of Naval Ravikant's philosophy on choosing between the status, money, truth, or freedom games to achieve personal fulfillment and happiness — Photo by Denys Nevozhai on Unsplash.

Reading time: 6 minutes

Choose Your Life Path Wisely

Are you tired of chasing success but still feeling unfulfilled in life? In this post, we’ll explore four powerful life paths—status, money, truth, and freedom—and help you reflect on which game you've been playing until now and which game might actually bring you peace of mind. Inspired by Naval Ravikant’s philosophy, we’ll go beyond surface-level goals and show how choosing the right path can bring clarity, purpose, and long-term happiness.

Status, money, truth, and freedom—these are the key life games. Which game is shaping your path? Naval 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 in life—the freedom game and the truth game.

But how do you choose the right game in life? Let's explore status, money, truth, and freedom to discover which life games are really 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 provides food for thought. Which game have you been playing and which game do you really want to be playing?

The Status Game—Why We Chase Status (And How to Stop)

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’ very survival depended on their ability to navigate complex social hierarchies, and this evolutionary legacy still drives our pursuit of status today—it still 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 status. The abundance of resources and opportunities today contrasts sharply with the scarcity faced by our ancestors.

Today’s world offers new avenues for status through social media, professional achievements, and consumerism, which intensify the desire for external validation. This explains why so many people care about status, even when they say they don't. It's human nature—but also a trap. Unfortunately, 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. Because status is socially constructed and always compared to others, we often can’t control how we're perceived—leading to anxiety, insecurity, and obsessing over what others think.

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 we 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.

Fashionable woman in a luxury car and designer dress—symbolizing someone playing the status game. — Are you upper class? A spendy lifestyle does not always equal financial stability. Photo by Virginia Marinova on Unsplash.

The Money Game—Is It worth it? What Science Says

The allure of the money game is strong. Unlike status, money is a tangible resource that directly impacts 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 ultimately 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. While money itself isn’t bad and financial freedom is a worthy goal, obsessively chasing wealth—especially for status—can damage mental health and distract us from what really matters.

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 goalposts in the money game constantly shift, and playing this game won’t bring lasting peace of mind either.

If you find yourself constantly working harder for more—even when it no longer brings joy—you may be stuck in the money game without realizing it. The chase never ends because, for many, wealth is tied to prestige and comparison—not to actual freedom.

What Is the Truth Game? A Life Path for the Curious

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: Choosing Autonomy Over Approval

Finally, 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.

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.

Woman walking freely through open fields, symbolizing personal freedom, autonomy, and living life on her own terms without caring what others think — Playing the freedom game. Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash.

How do you win the freedom game? Millennials and Gen Z are increasingly stepping away from traditional career paths, prioritizing work-life balance, mental well-being, and the freedom to live in alignment with their values—rather than chasing corporate titles or external expectations. 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.

Choosing the Right Life Game: Final Thoughts

No single game—status, money, truth, or freedom—is inherently better than the others. The key is to recognize which one you're currently playing, and whether it's aligned with your values and desired lifestyle. You don’t need to “win” by anyone else’s rules—just choose consciously and revisit that choice often as life evolves.

Enjoyed this post? Don’t miss our insights on the importance of practicing stealth wealth on your road to financial freedom or our article on reaching your first $100K investment milestone. Didn’t find what you were looking for? Check out our most recent articles further below (after the FAQs section).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Status has deep evolutionary roots—our ancestors relied on social standing to access resources and protection. Today, that drive persists through things like job titles, social media, and luxury goods. People chase status because it feels like a shortcut to acceptance, validation, and meaning—but it often leads to anxiety and comparison.
Start by recognizing that status is external and always relative—there’s no finish line. Focus instead on internal goals like freedom, creativity, or purpose, which offer lasting satisfaction. Practicing mindfulness and reducing social comparison (especially online) can help you detach from the status trap.
Status does still matter in certain contexts, like career progression or group dynamics, but it rarely contributes to deep happiness. Chasing status often leads to burnout and insecurity, while letting go of it opens up space for more authentic choices. It's important to be aware of how much influence it has on your decisions.
The freedom game is about gaining control over your time, energy, and decisions. People who play this game prioritize autonomy over approval, choosing work and lifestyles that match their values. Financial independence is one way to "win" this game—but it also includes emotional freedom and the ability to live on your own terms.
Money is a tool, while freedom is a result. Having money can help buy time and options, but without intention, it can trap you in cycles of more work and more status-seeking. Freedom means using money wisely to support a life you truly want—not just accumulating for its own sake.
Start by asking what motivates your biggest decisions: external approval, material gain, curiosity, or independence? Reflect on what brings you meaning and flow—not just reward. Once you're clear on your dominant drive, you can begin aligning your choices with the “game” that suits you best.
Caring about what others think is natural—it helped us survive in tight-knit communities. But in modern life, this instinct can lead to chronic anxiety and people-pleasing. The key is learning to validate yourself internally and build a life based on your own values instead of other people’s expectations.