![]() ![]() Over the long-term, these drastically different external events-one seemingly positive and the other negative-had no appreciable impact on happiness. The surprising result of the study was that, once the initial elation of winning the lottery and shock of the accident wore off, both groups returned to their original levels of happiness. In an interesting study from the 1970s, researchers studied the happiness levels of two different groups of people: lottery winners and accident victims. I wanted these things so badly, but the reality of obtaining them was far different than my expectations. I’ve certainly fallen victim to the arrival fallacy, having felt at first elated, then almost immediately letdown, following job promotions, raises, and new car or home purchases. He describes the arrival fallacy as: “The false belief that reaching a valued destination can sustain happiness.” In his book Happier, Harvard lecturer Tal Ben-Shahar defines the “arrival fallacy,” which is a corollary to the concept of hedonic adaptation. So what will? A Happy Life is a Journey, Not a Destination It’s clear from the science that the acquisition of bigger and better things doesn’t result in a happy life. So we work harder, in pursuit of even more, and become less happy as a result. We obtain more, and the shine soon wears off. We work really hard because we want more. ![]() We run on a hedonic treadmill, and get nowhere, despite exerting massive effort along the way.Ī belief that “bigger and better” leads to a happier life results, paradoxically, in less of it. This phenomenon is called “ hedonic adaptation.” It’s a term coined by psychologists Brickman and Campbell in the 1970s to explain our tendency as human beings to chase a happier life, only to return back to our original emotional baseline after getting what we want. We adapt to our circumstances, they become the “new normal,” and we want more. We want something-be it different weather, a better job, or a bigger house-but shortly after getting it, we want something different. The cycle of expectations and adaptation will then repeat.Īs humans, we are always chasing rainbows. This is true despite the fact that the weather hasn’t even been that great-it just seems great relative to what we’re used to.Ĭome fall, however, after a long, hot summer, we will start longing for cool, crisp air, and even (for some of us) the first snowflakes flying which will signal the coming ski season. In addition to short sleeves, lots of people are wearing beaming smiles on their faces. In our community, which was recently buried in snow, people are out in force, combing beaches for rocks, riding bikes, hiking trails, cruising on paddleboards, and celebrating spring’s arrival. Note: This is a guest post from Jay Harrington of Life and Whim.Īfter a long, brutal winter, it feels great to be outside again in a t-shirt, even if the temperatures aren’t climbing much beyond fifty degrees here in northern Michigan. ![]()
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