Running on a hedonic treadmill?🏃

Today’s newsletter is about a psychological concept you might have heard of before: the hedonic treadmill.

The hedonic treadmill describes the human tendency to quickly return to a baseline level of happiness, regardless of positive or negative life events.

The phrase “hedonic” comes from the word hedonism and refers to the pursuit of pleasure.

Imagine a person on a treadmill—no matter how fast they run, they remain in the same spot.

The concept of the hedonic treadmill suggests that despite significant life changes, people often find themselves back at their original level of happiness over time.

This concept is rooted in the idea that humans have a relatively stable “set point” of happiness, which is influenced by genetics and personality traits.

One key factor driving this phenomenon is hedonic adaptation.

This is the process by which individuals become accustomed to new circumstances, whether good or bad.

Even though we might be achieving our goals or getting things we’ve wanted for a long time, we find that the satisfaction of one desire leads to the creation of a new desire.

The idea of the hedonic treadmill explains why material wealth and external achievements often fail to bring lasting happiness.

Many people believe that acquiring more money, possessions, or status will lead to permanent increases in happiness.

However, because of hedonic adaptation, the joy derived from these gains is usually temporary.

This insight challenges the common pursuit of materialism as a path to happiness and suggests that focusing solely on external rewards may not lead to long-term fulfillment.

Learning about the hedonic treadmill raises an important question: how should we live?

Some, like the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus (the creator of Epicureanism), believed that life was about:

• the pursuit of pleasure

• & the minimization of pain

But if we just live for pleasure, we quickly find that we no longer enjoy the pleasures — and that we’re unhappy.

Historian Rick Perlstein captured the sentiment beautifully in the following quote:

By incorporating the idea of the hedonic treadmill and recognizing the limits of hedonic adaptation, we can try to live our lives in a way that leads to more sustainable sources of happiness.

Research shows that investing in relationships, personal growth, and meaningful experiences tends to have a more lasting impact on well-being than material possessions.

Activities that foster connection, purpose, and personal development can create enduring happiness because they are less prone to hedonic adaptation.

Plus, the idea of the hedonic treadmill isn’t all bad.

It also provides a comforting perspective on adversity.

While negative events can significantly impact happiness in the short term, understanding that people naturally adapt and recover can offer hope and resilience.

So, here are some key takeaways to conclude this newsletter with:

• The things you desire won’t make you as happy as you expect

• Unfortunate events hurt in the short-term, but we are resilient and will be fine in the long-term

• Focus on cultivating sources of happiness that are sustainable, like relationships with friends, family, and community

• Personal development (learning and mastering new skills and having meaningful experiences) will make us happier than getting new things

ART OF THE DAY