Hedonic adaptation is often referred to as the hedonic treadmill because we always end up where we started.
Overview
First off, it’s helpful to differentiate the term hedonic from the concept of hedonism.
Two additional termshedonic consumption and hedonic valuerelate to hedonic adaptation.
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There are many more ways that hedonic adaptation has been observed.
This leaves 40% that is subject to our influence.
Other researchers have come up with slightly different numbers, but all have been roughly in this ballpark.
They are evanescent, and they involve little, if any, thinking."
Pleasures can lift your mood and leave you feeling wonderful, but their effects can be relatively fleeting.
Whats more, we get used to them relatively quickly.
Interestingly, the more we engage in gratifications, the more we enjoy them.
These are activities that require more effort and thought, but the payoff is higher as well.
The more we engage, the more we enjoy.
Most, if not all, gratifications can be great stress relievers.
But there are reasons why pleasures can be perfect for certain situations.
First, as mentioned earlier, they bring a quick lift in mood without a great deal of effort.
Thats certainly better than nothing.
Altruism really does have many benefits to the giver as well as the recipients.
Meaningful acts should not be overlooked, particularly because they seem to transcend the hedonic treadmill quite effectively.
Hedonism refers to the philosophy that the goal of humans is to pursue pleasure and avoid pain.
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