According to hedonic treadmill theory, as a person makes more money, their tastes and expectations rise, which results in no permanent gain in overall happiness. This phenomenon is known as the hedonic treadmill, or hedonic adaptation-which is the observation that humans generally return to the same level of happiness despite major positive or negative life changes. Human beings quickly adapt to both pleasure and painĭid you know that psychologists have been so curious about this subject that they have been studying it since the 1970’s? Surely you have had experiences like this. But the initial euphoria of the purchase quickly evaporated and I never wore it nearly as much as I thought I would. I called my parents to ask if I could put it on a credit card and walked away elated a few minutes later with my new jacket. I think I was drawn to it because I had recently seen a photo of Justin Timberlake in People magazine wearing one just like it.

In the very back of the store, I found a jacket I was sure would change my life. One store I walked into had some very cool leather motorcycle style jackets.

We ate lunch and perused the luxurious boutique shops. When I was a college student in southern California, a group of my friends wanted to go to the infamous Rodeo Drive for the day. Armed with this knowledge, you can make new choices that are more likely to lead to a truly happy life. This psychological concept is known as adaptation and we will explore this more today. Here is today’s Big Idea: Research shows that new circumstances or new purchases rarely bring the lasting happiness that people think they will bring. Extensive global research on happiness exists, and understanding how happiness works is a key life leadership skill that has enormous implications for your life and your family.

Hedonic treadmill