Brandon Benedict

Rose Hulman Institute of Technology, computer science, tennis. Rho Phi FIJI

[George Mack @george__mack]

The Modern Paradox: Why are people not getting happier as quality of life increases?

Some thoughts on envy:

1. Happiness = Quality of life - Envy

2. "A rich man is anyone who earns more than his wife's sister's husband"

3. Russian proverb:

Farmer finds a magic lamp.

He rubs it and a genie appears who promises him one wish.

The farmer thinks for a moment and says:

"My neighbour has a cow. I don't have a cow. I wish my neighbours cow dies"

4. 21 year old males contrast dial used to be the most popular guy they've met.

The contrast dial is now the apex meme online: 18 year old "crypto dropshipping millionaire" on TikTok that is driving a rented Lamborghini through Miami

5. 21 year old girls contrast dial used to be the most popular girl they've met.

The contrast dial is now the apex meme online: 21 year old Instagram model with 10 million followers, and a sprinkle of 0.1% genetics, plastic surgery and augmented reality filters.

6. The bragging razor:

If someone brags about their success or happiness, assume it’s half what they claim.

If someone downplays their success or happiness, assume it’s double what they claim.The map is not the terrain.

7. One of the most underrated skills in 2024: Strategic ignorance. Mute everyone online who doesn't do at least one of the following:

• Teach you something new
• Make you laugh
• Want to see them in the next 6 months

Envy will begin to also massively decrease.

8. If you see people having incredible experiences on Instagram -- it's easy to get envious.

If you see people having incredible experiences whilst on their phone updating their Instagram -- you feel sorry for them.

Zoom out and remember how the sausage is made.

9. If envy makes you improve yourself and not resent the other person -- it's not envy, it's inspiration. Do not confuse the two.

10. Envy is a negative sum game where the envious holds a burning rock in their hand until they can no longer take it anymore -- and throws the rock through the window of the people they envy. Everyone involved loses.

11. If you flash your riches online for the world to see - you rarely attract the people that matter. Instead, you attract armed criminals, gold diggers and people that want to see you fail.

12. "Envy is a really stupid sin because it’s the only one you could never possibly have any fun at. There’s a lot of pain and no fun." - Munger

[Tim Ferriss @tferriss]

“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ … You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”​ — Eleanor Roosevelt

[WIRED @WIRED]

Astrophysicist @JannaLevinis asked to explain black holes to 5 different people; a child, a teen, a college student, a grad student, and an expert.

[The Winning Difference @thewinningdiff1]

Average is not elite.
Players cannot expect to put in an average effort and become elite.
There is nothing wrong with average.
But, there is something wrong with giving an average effort and expecting elite results.

[Brandon Benedict @benedict4pope]

@WalkerKessler13 challenge accepted. Name a time and place 🏓

[NBA Draft @NBADraft]

What's one thing you should know about some of this year's Draft prospects? 👀📺

2022 #NBADraft presented by State Farm:
TONIGHT at 8pm/et on ESPN & ABC.

[Brandon Benedict @benedict4pope]

Make a Netflix documentary then.

[The Wall Street Journal @WSJ]

The United States has the world’s best track and field athletes. The sport’s leaders want to make track a top-five sport among U.S. fans. https://t.co/qC4LZVbfWk

[Brandon Benedict @benedict4pope]

@drakecapps our best homemade coolers to date. Each year a little better

[Indy500Pics @Indy500Pics]

A country boy can survive.

[Hammer and Nigel @hammerandnigel]

Mix in some duct tape and boom… portable cooler. Redneck ingenuity at its finest

[Indy500Pics @Indy500Pics]

A country boy can survive.

[jaykenworthy @jaykenworthy]

Most people don’t realize how big Indianapolis Motor Speedway actually is.

[Jasmine @JasmineLWatkins]

If "iight bet" was a picture

[Bobby @BobbyMlRE]

This was when I knew Jokić took the MVP jump

[Hoops @Hoopss]

Rudy Gobert thinks he can lock up Shaq. Lets remind him https://t.co/IYPW24kl4F

[† @HoodiHachimura]

Shaq did this to David Robinson 😭
Rudy Gobert don’t stand a fkn chance

[LakeShowYo @LakeShowYo]

who remembers the Kobe & LeBron MVPuppets commercials? 😂

[Elon Musk @elonmusk]

@nypost This is false. I’ve had no communication, directly or indirectly, with Trump, who has publicly stated that he will be exclusively on Truth Social.

[E. Rex Sean @PreachBYOB]

@BleacherReport @brgridiron @PaulKuharskyNFL Ryan midway through week 4 of the season

[Sal Di Stefano @mindpumpsal]

If you base your fitness success on how “hot” it makes you look, you’re doing it wrong.

If you base your fitness success on how fit and healthy it makes you, you’re doing it right. Also, the side effect is you look “hot.”

[Two Friends @twofriendsmusic]

big bootie mix volume ONE came out in spring of 2012. with bb21 coming next week, that means it's officially been A DECADE OF BOOTIE