#610: Your Goals Could Be Harming You (Physically), featuring Sebastien Page

      In 2005, Sebastien Page faced a life-threatening situation due to a mysterious bacterial infection that went undiagnosed for a week. An attentive doctor noticed cuts on his toes from running in wet conditions and helped connect the clues. This experience prompted Page to reflect on his mortality and significantly altered his perspective on goals. As the chief investment officer at T. Rowe Price and the author of The Psychology of Leadership, he discusses how traditional goal-setting may be undermining happiness.

      Page points out that 80 percent of millennials aspire to wealth, while 50 percent desire fame. However, findings from an 80-year longitudinal study at Harvard present a surprising insight: individuals who ascended the social hierarchy were not substantially happier than those who faced financial struggles. The true indicator of enduring happiness is the quality of one's relationships with others.

      We examine the negative aspects of ambition through a phenomenon known as “goal-induced blindness.” Page cites Mount Everest as a case in point— climbers have a 4 percent fatality risk, equivalent to consuming four poisoned gummies from a hundred. Nonetheless, many still pursue the summit, becoming fixated on the goal itself.

      Page recounts his own experiences with goal-induced blindness throughout his high-pressure career in finance. The constant travel and stress played a role in his near-fatal illness in 2005, leading him to realize that working less actually increased his productivity. We delve into a framework Page developed called the “three Cs”: core beliefs, curves, and control theory.

      Core beliefs act as the lenses through which you perceive the world, influencing your trust in others or your views on spending versus saving money. Curves relate to managing stress, based on findings that optimal performance does not occur under conditions of zero stress. Control theory guides you on when to practice “strategic patience” versus making rapid decisions.

      Page also presents the PERMA framework from positive psychology: it encompasses positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. He refers to the latter four as “proteins for your soul,” while considering positive emotions akin to a temporary sugar high.

      The conversation touches on practical implications for hiring practices and relationship decisions, utilizing mathematical principles like net present value to inform better life choices.

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