This tweet stopped me dead in my tracks. ![Blog post image](/images/blog/image-2-1024x216.png)[Read tweet]() It reminded me of the feeling when you connect multiple sections of a jigsaw puzzle. But unlike a puzzle, this tweet didn’t evoke a deep sense of joy and satisfaction. It produced more of a _wtf-this-can’t-be-true_ moment. But first: ## What do Michael Jordan, Taylor Swift and Don Draper have in common? They are “the stars of human nature.” They’re constantly “develop themselves and contribute their abilities to the world. They motivate “others to greater personal achievements than others thought they were capable of.” This language is directly from [the Enneagram Institute](), a personality test that helps identify core patterns of thinking and feeling. And it specifically describes one of the 9 Archetypes: __The Achiever.__ The Achiever (Type 3) has a simple mission: > Achievers want to be affirmed, to distinguish themselves from others, to have attention, to be admired, and to impress others. And while it’s an unscientific assessment, the RadReads community skews heavily towards Achievers. At their best, Achievers [are ambitious](), highly effective, self-assured and embody [“widely admired cultural standards.”]() But this behavior can quickly jump the shark (thanks to [the law of diminishing returns]()). Their __self-assuredness__ turns into a __fear of failure__. Their __charm__ metastasizes into __narcissism__. Their __ambition__ becomes __exploitative and opportuntistic__. What does the dark side of Achievers look like? Patrick Bateman. ![Blog post image](/images/blog/image-4.png) Vindictive, psychopathic behavior. Obsessive about destroying whatever reminds them of their own shortcomings and failures. ## The key fear of an Achiever? Behind these trophy cases of accomplishments, Achievers have a simple fear: > They fear that they have no inherent value if they do not accomplish or succeed at external things. They [fear being worthless](). Which brings us back to the “insecure people” part of the original tweet. ## Examining the role of desire But first a story from the Twilight Zone. It’s about a burglar who goes to hell, but he mistakenly thinks he’s in heaven. He breaks into a house, but cash is laying on the dining room table. He tries to steal a car, but the keys are already in the ignition. He then goes to a casino, only to realize that he wins every bet. But he’s not ecstatic. He’s pissed. Since he can get everything that he wants, there’s no anticipation. No desire to be filled. And it turns out __he’s actually in hell.__ I heard this story in a discussion about Todd McGowan’s book [Capitalism and Desire: The Psychic Cost of Free Markets.]() McGowan makes the argument that capitalism relies heavily on manipulating the __inherent sense of lack that characterizes human desire.__ And as the story demonstrates, desire plays an instrumental (possibly central) role in the satisfaction that we get from accumulating objects. This includes objects in the physical world (watches, cars and homes) and objects in the symbolic world (prestige, status and power). Here’s McGowan describing how this inherent sense of lack leads to a hamster wheel of accumulation (emphasis mine): > “Capitalist accumulation envisions obtaining the object that would provide the ultimate satisfaction for the desiring subject. The object that would quench the subject’s desire and allow it to put an end to the relentless yearning to accumulate. The key to capitalism’s staying power lies in the fact that __this ultimately satisfying object doesn’t exist.”__ Intellectually we know this to be true. We’ve experienced the failed promise of [the When-Then trap]() – how fancy cars or big-time promotions don’t bring us anywhere closer to__a deep satisfaction about life.__ It was a bit of a mind-f**k seeing my own perpetual sense of unworthiness (aka lack) fuel the economic system that I reluctantly (or happily) exist within. ## The final blow Then there’s one last piece to the puzzle It’s a pithy (and punchy) Buddhist teaching: > Desire is suffering. Yup, clinging to desires and craving things locks us into __a perpetual state of suffering.__ When we desire an object (or person or experience) and we don’t get it – we suffer. But even when we get it, the satisfaction is short-lived. So we go back to return to the well. Here’s the illustrated version of this conundrum. ![Blog post image](/images/blog/image-3-1024x816.png) Any ideas on how we can break out of this cycle? ## Here’s how we can help you * [The Life Operating System](): Your home base for personal productivity. It combines tasks, notes, project management and a CRM in one place. * [Supercharge your Productivity](): Learn how our $10K Work method can help you improve your mind, career and relationships. * [Apply for our Group Coaching:]() Are you an executive or founder undergoing a career change? We’ll give you frameworks and accountability for this transition. * [Train Your Team on $10K Work](): Is your team busy, but without much to show for it? Teach your colleagues how to prioritize and identify leverage in your organization. * [Download The Examined Life podcast:]() Every week we ponder one of life’s thorniest questions. * [The RadReads Newsletter](): Sign up for 5 actionable insights each Saturday for a life well-lived.