Summary

The article discusses the concept of "cost of entry" as it applies to life experiences, success, and fulfillment, emphasizing that while we often resist paying these non-monetary costs, they are unavoidable and essential for accessing what we desire in life.

Abstract

The author of the article argues that just as social venues like bars and clubs have a cost of entry, often in the form of time or status rather than money, life's most fulfilling experiences also come with their own set of entrance fees. These costs can be intangible, such as the embarrassment of asking someone on a date or the discomfort of trying a new activity. The article suggests that by identifying and being willing to pay these costs, individuals can access the experiences they seek. The author presents a two-step process for achieving a fulfilling life: recognizing the cost of entry for desired experiences and being prepared to pay it, acknowledging that the alternative is often regret.

Opinions

The author believes that people are generally willing to pay a non-monetary cost of entry in social settings, such as waiting in line or enduring uncertainty, to enjoy nightlife activities.
It is posited that individuals forget to apply the concept of a cost of entry to abstract goals like success and fulfillment, which can lead to counterproductive actions.
The article suggests that by reframing our understanding of these costs, we can approach our goals more effectively.
The author asserts that the cost of entry for many fulfilling life experiences is often psychological or emotional, such as the risk of embarrassment or the challenge of overcoming discomfort.
The author emphasizes that the cost of not pursuing one's desires is regret

Our Best Life Has A Cost Of Entry, And We Hate Paying It

Even though it’s usually pretty cheap.

I have no idea where you live, but where I live, on a typical night out, the bars and clubs don’t have a cost of entry.

Well, not one that costs money. My friends and I mostly never pay anything at the door, but that doesn’t mean there’s zero cost of entry. The cost is waiting in line. We’re spending time there, and we have no idea whether there’s anything fun happening inside.

But you better bet that we pay it every time; because that’s what it takes to get in.

And the cost of entry isn’t a foreign concept to you, surely. It’s in various forms with a lot of venues — sometimes money, sometimes other things.

Cash for a festival.
Status to enter a community; or
Time like our bar example.

We all understand how this works, and we might not know what some crazy-exclusive-fashion party has as a cost of entry, but we 100% know it has one.

So, *turns around in chair bond-villain style*, why sir or madam, don’t you and I use this principle when we want something out of life?

A 30 Second Game To Reframe

If we think about it for 30 seconds, the same dynamics for “cost of entry” apply to cool experiences, success, and fulfillment within our lives.

But since we don’t think about this reframe often, we act in counter-intiutive ways.

Sometimes we might take actions that make onlookers say, “Oh, that person wants something for nothing.”

Which isn’t true, right?

Everyone likes to think of themselves as someone willing to do what it takes to get what they want —and yet that thing we mentioned before, the cost of entry — we forget it exists 90% of the time.

The reason why we forget is that it’s usually grounded in the “physical world” and we don’t apply that to things that are as loose or ephemeral as “fulfillment,” “success,” or “experiences.”

Fulfillment is vague.

We don’t see a door with a cost of entry, or a product with a price tag — so we forget to think about it in this way.

And yet, if we start to talk about specific scenarios, we can 100% identify that they’d be fulfilling, engaging, or a worthwhile experience.

The Cost Of Entry For A Date

What’s the cost of entry for a date? Some people might give a dollar-figure, or think about time, but the real cost of entry for a date is embarrassment.

Going up to someone publically and asking them on a date, putting yourself out there, vulnerable to potential rejection, and working up the courage to do it — that’s the cost.

And who could say that going on a date with someone new isn’t a worthwhile experience?

Embarrassment and humiliation are actually the cost for a lot of things in the fulfillment category in life.

It’s just that we never think about it like this — but when we finally do, everything becomes so incredibly easy.

The cost of entry for solo backpacking is being uncomfortable.
The cost of entry for a new career is feeling like an idiot.
The cost of entry to learn how to skate is a lot of pain.

When we think about these things as exclusive clubs with a cost to enter, we begin to be more willing to pay the price.

Because right now, the thought process is: “I’m not sure if I can do this!”

But after we change our thinking, it becomes: “Oh, I just need to pay the cost, and I’ll have the thing.”

This Brings Us To A 2-Step Process

And this 2-step process is about walking the path to our dreams — and yeah, look, I’m definitely bringing the 🧀 in cheesy, but it’s true.

A fulfilled life materializes from the actions we take, or the cost of entry we pay if you'd like.

So the process is simple:

Find the cost of entry for an experience.
Be willing to pay it.

That’s it.

Often, we subconsciously know what the cost of entry is, but we never write it down or externalize it. And if we do, we quickly realize that the price might be too high, and we’re not willing to pay it.

We want to have the cake and eat it too — but that’s not how the cost of entry works.

If you don’t pay it, you can’t go in, and the funny thing is that we’re always paying.

Because the cost of entry for a life of not doing the things you want is regret.

And I don’t know about you, but for me, embarrassment is cheaper than regret.

Good luck, you.

✌ Sah

I hope you enjoyed that one. Keep up with my shenanigans here; I post maybe 1–2 times a week. And hey, if you want something deeper than this article, I’ve written a small book on sorting the mess that life-decision pressure can cause — enjoy!

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