Moving away, by contrast, tends to diminish vitality and decrease the flexibility and range of our behaviors. So, for example, if your work is something you want to do because it matters to you, you are much more likely to experience well-being than if you work to simply avoid poverty or the disapproval of others. Over time, people who spend more of their life moving toward what matters have broader and more flexible repertoires of behavior, whereas people who spend their life trying to avoid having difficult or painful experiences have smaller and more rigid repertoires.
