Choosing the good over the pleasant
Kathopanishad says “Blessed are they who choose the good over the pleasant”. Was thinking about it after I saw this scene next to Chembur station with a lady selling a variety of nuts having no takers, whilst the gentleman selling paani-puri adjacent to her in full demand.
It is the natural tendency (vrtti वृत्ति) of the human mind to choose the pleasant over the good. You achieve success when this vrtti is overcome. This can be achieved through several ways — knowledge, awareness, discipline.
The modern world has several vectors that nudges us towards the pleasant. Two key ways to overcome this vrtti is through satsang (company of the good people) and yoga (as Patanjali says योगः चित्त वृत्ति निरोधः— yogah chitta vrtti nirodhah — Yoga is the control of the otherwise normal tendency of the mind).