You know when you read a headline, see a new “study,” or come across some viral article (possibly loosely) based in psychology, and think, Wait, is this really news?
Like… do people not already know this? Is this actually a revelation, or just common sense dressed up?
The funny thing about the human mind is: we don’t know what we don’t know. And even trickier, we don’t know that other people don’t know what we know. (You may want to reread that a few times…) So there’s really no such thing as “common sense.” There’s just what’s common to you.
Lately I’ve seen a ton of psychology-based stories popping up in my feed… especially about design, space, happiness, abundance - and what I would call Feng Shui even though they’re not using those words.
Here’s one I read recently:
“If You Live by These 5 Rules, You Won’t Need a Lot of Money to Be Happy.”
Here’s my take…
1. There’s always beauty in the ordinary.
Umm… yes
This one feels both obvious and profound. It’s at the root of everything: design, art, daily life, happiness. Nature is the ultimate designer; it surrounds us every day with quiet undertones of loveliness. There’s poetry in our routines, a kind of sacred geometry hidden in the ordinary. Finding the beauty in every day is a path to enlightenment…
2. The happiest people aren’t the wealthiest. They’re the most content.
We choose our happiness.
All the fluff, all the external stuff… money, things… can, at most, support it, but they can’t create it. Contentment is more of an alignment than an achievement. It’s when what you have matches what you value. That’s true abundance.
3. The more you desire something you don’t have, the more you’re just focusing on the fact that you’re not happy.
Where we put our focus matters…
Desire can be a creative spark, but it can also be a loop. The wanting starts to replace the living, the exploring, the enjoying…
There’s nothing wrong with wanting, but it helps to notice when it shifts from inspiring you to consuming you.
4. Low expectations create psychological wealth.
Okay, I get the point, but I hate how “low expectations” sounds.
It feels so negative. I’d reframe it: be grateful, need less, expect enough.
It’s not about lowering the bar; it’s about realizing you were reaching for someone else’s goal.
5. All happiness in life is just the gap between expectations and circumstances.
Yes… Do you remember crappy college relationships? That gap was doing a lot of work.
The smaller the gap, the happier you are. That’s why simplicity works… in design, in living, in love. Live with what you love and let go of the rest.
Happiness has the same rules as design: balance, flow, simplicity.
These five “psychology tips” are really just reminders to see what’s already beautiful — and to stop overcomplicating what works.
What I love about these tips is how they mirror design itself. Less clutter. More intention. Beauty in the space between. Maybe happiness is just good design for the mind. I find this fitting for The Magic of Designing with Intention…
I’d love to hear your take… which of these “rules” hits home for you right now? I hope you’ll stick around for more conversation. Subscribe below.
xo
Abby