Aspen Ideas Festival: How to Want Less

Throughout life, we are hounded by limitless desire. We search for fulfillment by striving for more money, power, pleasure, or prestige. But even for the most fortunate, it’s never enough. In truth, this is Mother Nature’s plan: She wants us to struggle and strive; she cares little if we are happy. There is a way out, however. It’s not to have more, but to want less. This presentation synthesizes the latest findings in neuroscience and social science with the ancient teachings of Buddha and Thomas Aquinas to give us strategies we can follow to true satisfaction.