GLMX #248: The Solution for Jon Stewart's 'Dissatisfaction'

A few weeks ago, Jon Stewart, who has hosted the popular Daily Show on Comedy Central for the past 16 years, announced that he was stepping down. In a recent interview with the Guardian, he revealed his reason why. He said, "It's not like I thought the show wasn’t working any more, or that I didn’t know how to do it. It was more, 'Yup, it’s working. But I’m not getting the same satisfaction.’" He went on to say that in his type of work, "You have moments of dissatisfaction, and then you come out of it and it’s OK. But the cycles [of dissatisfaction] become longer and maybe more entrenched." 

Stewart also commented on the 24-hour news cycle saying, "Watching these channels all day is incredibly depressing. I live in a constant state of depression." 

Jon Stewart's reasoning is not foreign to the vast majority of people today. Many -- including some of the most wealthy, most famous, and most successful individuals -- will admit that they experience dissatisfaction with their jobs, their home life, their families, or their lack of success. Many of us will also readily agree that the constant stream of (mostly) negative news about what is happening in the world can indeed be depressing. 

The truth of the matter is: true satisfaction cannot be found in our jobs, in other people, or even in engaging in activities that are fun and entertaining. All of these are temporal and there will eventually come a time when they fail to fulfill what we desire for them to fulfill in our lives. You cannot find complete peace or satisfaction through your accomplishments or even through things that you find pleasurable and enjoyable...