Happiness Revisited

"To overcome the anxieties and depressions of contemporary life, individuals must become independent of the social environment to the degree that they no longer respond exclusively in terms of its rewards and punishments."

The way I interpreted this quote was that one must be willing to take chances in life. Whether this is going for a thrill or going down a path that many people don't approve of, the normal way of life will slowly become boring to you. Even if you may have a good life, exciting things may be the last thing to happen in your life. You must take initiative to go after hobbies, passions, ect. Sometimes I wonder why people under so much stress don't decide to take a break or go for a run. Taking your mind off something could prove to be beneficial. You may even feel better than you did before you were stressed out.

Mastery QQC

"This is the nature of mastery: mastery is an asymptote"

This metaphor says that mastery is something you can approach but never fully reach. It also makes one question the point of mastering something. When you first start off mastering something, in the beginning you quickly gain an understanding of it, but once you start getting used to your current mastery level and attempt to achieve a higher one, the road becomes harder and longer. I wonder what it means to "fully master" something and how would one know they have mastered it to the best of their abilities.