--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: he started by selling his Porsche Boxster…" description: "\"“he started by selling his Porsche Boxster and buying a Toyota Prius in its place.4 “I don’t want to live the life of a Boxster,” he told the New York ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e05/dan-ariely-1899_break-the-cycle_he-started-by-selling-his-porsche-boxste_256213.png" --- # he started by selling his Porsche Boxster and buying a… ![“he started by selling his Porsche Boxster and buying a Toyota Prius in its place.4 “I don’t want to live the life of a Boxster,” he told the New York Times, “because when you get a Boxster you wish you had a 911, and you know what people who have 911s wish they had? They wish they had a Ferrari.”…” quote by Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e05/dan-ariely-1899_break-the-cycle_he-started-by-selling-his-porsche-boxste_256213.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e05/dan-ariely-1899_break-the-cycle_he-started-by-selling-his-porsche-boxste_256213.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e05/dan-ariely-1899_break-the-cycle_he-started-by-selling-his-porsche-boxste_256213.png) > ““he started by selling his Porsche Boxster and buying a Toyota Prius in its place.4 “I don’t want to live the life of a Boxster,” he told the New York Times, “because when you get a Boxster you wish you had a 911, and you know what people who have 911s wish they had? They wish they had a Ferrari.” That’s a lesson we can all learn: the more we have, the more we want. And the only cure is to break the cycle of relativity.”” [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Having more possessions creates endless desire for more, trapping us in a cycle of perpetual dissatisfaction. **In simple terms:** More stuff leads to more wanting. Key Takeaway Recognize and limit comparative consumption. Themes consumerism desire contentment Mood reflective critical Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal finance - minimalism - career choices - gift giving Key Concepts relative desire psychology of wants hedonic adaptation Questions to Reflect On - How do you measure true satisfaction? - What habits can curb endless wanting? A Different Perspective Breaking the cycle requires conscious restraint, not just swapping items. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Break The Cycle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break-the-cycle/) [York Times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/york-times/) ## Related quotes > [That’s a lesson we can all learn: the more we have, the more we want. And the only cure is to break the cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/that-s-a-lesson-we-can-all-learn-the-more-we-have-the-more-we-want/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [“History has a way of repeating itself, but it's up to us to break the cycle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirby-larson/history-has-a-way-of-repeating-itself-but-it-s-up-to-us-to-break-the/) [Kirby Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirby-larson/) > [Once you have a felony conviction on your record, one of the most difficult things to do is to break the cycle of recidivism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hill-harper/once-you-have-a-felony-conviction-on-your-record-one-of-the-most/) [Hill Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hill-harper/) > [“How are we ever to disarm evil and abolish death as a means to an end? How are we ever to break the cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/how-are-we-ever-to-disarm-evil-and-abolish-death-as-a-means-to-an-end/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [“I wish you the wisdom to recognize where your past relationships were poisoned… and the strength to break the cycle of accepting less than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/i-wish-you-the-wisdom-to-recognize-where-your-past-relationships-were/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [We have to break the cycle of structural racism, and build a truly just society for all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaal-bowman/we-have-to-break-the-cycle-of-structural-racism-and-build-a-truly/) [Jamaal Bowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaal-bowman/) > [I think people forget that when people lose Medicaid coverage, they still show up at the hospital when they have a chronic illness or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-mccaskill/i-think-people-forget-that-when-people-lose-medicaid-coverage-they/) [Claire McCaskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-mccaskill/) > [“What I’m talking about is the order of chosen men who inherit power. From Pharaohs and kings to bankers and executives. Their path is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-drnaso/what-i-m-talking-about-is-the-order-of-chosen-men-who-inherit-power/) Nick Drnaso > [The fastest way to break the cycle of perfectionism and become a fearless is mother is to give up the idea of doing it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/the-fastest-way-to-break-the-cycle-of-perfectionism-and-become-a/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [“People become desensitized to many things going on around them. It is because they always see it on the tv, hear it on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amaka-imani-nkosazana/people-become-desensitized-to-many-things-going-on-around-them-it-is/) [Amaka Imani Nkosazana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amaka-imani-nkosazana/) > [I think it's time that we all be there for the children, to learn from the ones who came before us, and to teach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ja-rule/i-think-it-s-time-that-we-all-be-there-for-the-children-to-learn-from/) [Ja Rule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ja-rule/) > [Now if you not only support them through that pregnancy, but now provide childcare for them so they can go back to school and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-carson/now-if-you-not-only-support-them-through-that-pregnancy-but-now/) [Benjamin Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-carson/) > [“ACOA (Adult Children of Alcoholics) Counseling can break the cycle in your family. Did you parent your parents? Chaos seem normal? Unhappiness is expected?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spiritual-healing/acoa-adult-children-of-alcoholics-counseling-can-break-the-cycle-in/) Spiritual Healing > [“ LOW SELF-ESTEEM Characteristic of most people with social anxiety is low self-esteem. I showed you the sequence in Chapter 1. What is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-berent/low-self-esteem-characteristic-of-most-people-with-social-anxiety-is/) [Jonathan Berent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-berent/) > [We can sit back and be part of a hurting America, or we can channel our energy into something positive and do what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/we-can-sit-back-and-be-part-of-a-hurting-america-or-we-can-channel/) [Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/) ## More by Dan Ariely > [If you think of people as making decisions actively, every time we think about the cup of coffee, we say, "How much will I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/if-you-think-of-people-as-making-decisions-actively-every-time-we/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [ “\[..\] we human beings are ready and willing to steal something that does not explicitly reference monetary value - that is, something that lacks… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/we-human-beings-are-ready-and-willing-to-steal-something-that-does/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [It is true that from a behavioral economics perspective we are fallible, easily confused, not that smart, and often irrational. We are more like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/it-is-true-that-from-a-behavioral-economics-perspective-we-are/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [“Contrafreeloading,” a term coined by the animal psychologist Glen Jensen, refers to the finding that many animals prefer to earn food rather than simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/contrafreeloading-a-term-coined-by-the-animal-psychologist-glen/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [One of the big lessons from behavioral economics is that we make decisions as a function of the environment that we're in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/one-of-the-big-lessons-from-behavioral-economics-is-that-we-make/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [Not all debt is bad. From time to time we should get into debt when there's a good reason for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/not-all-debt-is-bad-from-time-to-time-we-should-get-into-debt-when/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [“This result suggests that cheating is not driven by concerns about standing out. Rather, it shows that our sense of our own morality is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/this-result-suggests-that-cheating-is-not-driven-by-concerns-about/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [“ONE OF THE main differences between standard and behavioral economics involves this concept of “free lunches.” According to the assumptions of standard economics, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/one-of-the-main-differences-between-standard-and-behavioral-economics/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [Money is all about opportunity cost. Every time you spend on something, that's something you can't spend on something else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/money-is-all-about-opportunity-cost-every-time-you-spend-on-something/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [The people that lend you money basically give you an answer based on the risk that they are willing to take. But just because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/the-people-that-lend-you-money-basically-give-you-an-answer-based-on/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [“Upton Sinclair once noted, “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.”)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/upton-sinclair-once-noted-it-is-difficult-to-get-a-man-to-understand/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [If you get people to feel that they are putting something, that they are creating it and so on, their love for the project…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/if-you-get-people-to-feel-that-they-are-putting-something-that-they/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [If I gave you now, $10 as a gift, how happy would you be? Would you be happy, is the marginal $10, the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/if-i-gave-you-now-10-as-a-gift-how-happy-would-you-be-would-you-be/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [Imagine you have six loans, small to huge. People want to close loans and because of that, they try to pay off the small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/imagine-you-have-six-loans-small-to-huge-people-want-to-close-loans/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) > [When you get a checking account, you should have a savings account, and the number for the savings account should be one off of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/when-you-get-a-checking-account-you-should-have-a-savings-account-and/) [Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) [Explore all 198 Dan Ariely quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/) ## More Break The Cycle quotes > [We can sit back and be part of a hurting America, or we can channel our energy into something positive and do what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/we-can-sit-back-and-be-part-of-a-hurting-america-or-we-can-channel/) [Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/) > [“ LOW SELF-ESTEEM Characteristic of most people with social anxiety is low self-esteem. I showed you the sequence in Chapter 1. What is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-berent/low-self-esteem-characteristic-of-most-people-with-social-anxiety-is/) [Jonathan Berent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-berent/) > [“ACOA (Adult Children of Alcoholics) Counseling can break the cycle in your family. Did you parent your parents? Chaos seem normal? Unhappiness is expected?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spiritual-healing/acoa-adult-children-of-alcoholics-counseling-can-break-the-cycle-in/) Spiritual Healing > [Now if you not only support them through that pregnancy, but now provide childcare for them so they can go back to school and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-carson/now-if-you-not-only-support-them-through-that-pregnancy-but-now/) [Benjamin Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-carson/) > [I think it's time that we all be there for the children, to learn from the ones who came before us, and to teach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ja-rule/i-think-it-s-time-that-we-all-be-there-for-the-children-to-learn-from/) [Ja Rule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ja-rule/) > [“People become desensitized to many things going on around them. It is because they always see it on the tv, hear it on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amaka-imani-nkosazana/people-become-desensitized-to-many-things-going-on-around-them-it-is/) [Amaka Imani Nkosazana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amaka-imani-nkosazana/) > [The fastest way to break the cycle of perfectionism and become a fearless is mother is to give up the idea of doing it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/the-fastest-way-to-break-the-cycle-of-perfectionism-and-become-a/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [“What I’m talking about is the order of chosen men who inherit power. From Pharaohs and kings to bankers and executives. Their path is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-drnaso/what-i-m-talking-about-is-the-order-of-chosen-men-who-inherit-power/) Nick Drnaso > [I think people forget that when people lose Medicaid coverage, they still show up at the hospital when they have a chronic illness or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-mccaskill/i-think-people-forget-that-when-people-lose-medicaid-coverage-they/) [Claire McCaskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-mccaskill/) > [We have to break the cycle of structural racism, and build a truly just society for all of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaal-bowman/we-have-to-break-the-cycle-of-structural-racism-and-build-a-truly/) [Jamaal Bowman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaal-bowman/) > [“I wish you the wisdom to recognize where your past relationships were poisoned… and the strength to break the cycle of accepting less than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/i-wish-you-the-wisdom-to-recognize-where-your-past-relationships-were/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [“How are we ever to disarm evil and abolish death as a means to an end? How are we ever to break the cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/how-are-we-ever-to-disarm-evil-and-abolish-death-as-a-means-to-an-end/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Once you have a felony conviction on your record, one of the most difficult things to do is to break the cycle of recidivism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hill-harper/once-you-have-a-felony-conviction-on-your-record-one-of-the-most/) [Hill Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hill-harper/) > [“History has a way of repeating itself, but it's up to us to break the cycle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirby-larson/history-has-a-way-of-repeating-itself-but-it-s-up-to-us-to-break-the/) [Kirby Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirby-larson/) > [“When someone hurts you, do not hurt them back. Remember those hurt spread hurt, so help break the cycle. Your little empathy towards the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drishti-bablani/when-someone-hurts-you-do-not-hurt-them-back-remember-those-hurt/) [Drishti Bablani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drishti-bablani/) [Browse all 45 Break The Cycle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break-the-cycle/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“he started by selling his Porsche Boxster and buying a Toyota Prius in its place.4 “I don’t want to live the life of a Boxster,” he told the New York Times, “because when you get a Boxster you wish you had a 911, and you know what people who have 911s wish they had? They wish they had a Ferrari.” That’s a lesson we can all learn: the more we have, the more we want. And the only cure is to break the cycle of relativity.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dan Ariely" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/he-started-by-selling-his-porsche-boxster-and-buying-a-toyota-prius/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Break The Cycle" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/he-started-by-selling-his-porsche-boxster-and-buying-a-toyota-prius/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e05/dan-ariely-1899_break-the-cycle_he-started-by-selling-his-porsche-boxste_256213.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e05/dan-ariely-1899_break-the-cycle_he-started-by-selling-his-porsche-boxste_256213.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e05/dan-ariely-1899_break-the-cycle_he-started-by-selling-his-porsche-boxste_256213.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“he started by selling his Porsche Boxster and buying a Toyota Prius in its place.4 “I don’t want to live the…” — Dan Ariely", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dan Ariely", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“he started by selling his Porsche...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/he-started-by-selling-his-porsche-boxster-and-buying-a-toyota-prius/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/he-started-by-selling-his-porsche-boxster-and-buying-a-toyota-prius/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```