Hedonic adaptation is the tendency for people to return to a relatively stable level of happiness despite major positive or negative events or life changes. This means that even if we experience something good or bad, our joy will eventually return to its baseline level.
Hedonic adaptation was first proposed by Philip Brickman and Donald T. Campbell in their 1971 essay "Hedonic Relativism and Planning the Good Society". They argued that people's happiness is determined by relatively stable factors, such as personality, relationships, and overall life circumstances.
There is a lot of evidence to support the existence of hedonic adaptation. For example, studies have shown that lottery winners are no happier than people who have never won the lottery and that people who become paraplegic are no less happy than people who have never been paraplegic.
Hedonic adaptation can have both positive and negative consequences. On the one hand, it can help us to cope with adverse events. Knowing that we will eventually return to our baseline level of happiness can make it easier to deal with difficult times. On the other hand, hedonic adaptation can also make it difficult to achieve lasting happiness. If our joy always returns to its baseline level, sustaining positive change in our lives can be tricky.
There are a few things that we can do to reduce the impact of hedonic adaptation:
- Please focus on the positive: When we experience something good, it is essential to take the time to savour it. This will help us to prolong the positive feelings and make it less likely that we will adapt to them.
- Set realistic goals: When we set goals for ourselves, it is crucial to ensure they are practical. If we set goals that are too difficult to achieve, we are more likely to become frustrated and unhappy.
- Practice gratitude: Gratitude is a powerful emotion that can help us to appreciate the good things in our lives. When we practice gratitude, we focus on the positive aspects of our lives, which can help us maintain a positive outlook.
Hedonic adaptation is a natural phenomenon that we cannot completely control. However, following these tips can reduce its impact and increase our chances of achieving lasting happiness.
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