Five ways to hack the happiness treadmill

[frauenfelder]

Originally published at: Five ways to hack the happiness treadmill | Boing Boing

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[shichae]

@frauenfelder

Most nice things get less nice over time, whether it’s a slice of cheesecake, a massage, or houseguests. Disrupters refresh pleasant experiences by interrupting them.

Disrupters sounds like the refreshing pickled ginger that is served with sushi.

[David_Aubke]

Every multi-day power outage provides an excellent disruptor.

[Brainspore]

@frauenfelder

whether it’s a slice of cheesecake, a massage, or houseguests. Disrupters refresh pleasant experiences by interrupting them.

Please do not interrupt my massage.

[ephoph]

I was with them right up until this: “people actually enjoy TV more with commercials.”

I certainly don’t

[stinkinbadgers]

@frauenfelder

studies that show lottery winners end up being about as happy as they were before they won.

No matter where you go, there you are.

[Elmer]

@frauenfelder

Most people tend to move toward a happiness “set point” after good things or bad things happen to them. Philip Brickman and Donald T. Campbell coined the term “hedonic treadmill” to describe this phenomenon in a 1971 essay titled “Hedonic Relativism and Planning the Good Society.”

The Buddha knew this 2500 years ago.

[CarlMud]

@frauenfelder

Most nice things get less nice over time, whether it’s a slice of cheesecake, a massage, or houseguests.

Dosis sola facit venenum. Only the dose makes the poison.

[FGD135]

[Melizmatic]

@frauenfelder

…lottery winners end up being about as happy as they were before they won

But with more money. (At least temporarily.)