The pursuit of ultimate happiness, often promoted by self-help books and influencers, may be a futile endeavor, as individuals typically revert to a baseline happiness set point. Research indicates that instead of striving for a perfect 10 on the happiness scale, aiming for a modest increase from a 5 to a 6 or 7 could yield more sustainable contentment. This is complicated by hedonic adaptation, which causes individuals to quickly return to their baseline happiness level after experiencing temporary spikes due to achievements or purchases. Understanding this may reshape our expectations of happiness.
But research suggests that we each have a happiness set point, a general baseline level of happiness that we return to over time.
Instead of trying (and failing) to reach a 10, what if we aimed to shift from a 5 to a 6 or a 7?
One of the biggest obstacles to sustained happiness is a psychological phenomenon called hedonic adaptation.
We experience hedonic adaptation in three key areas: The Hedonic Treadmill, where the excitement of elation quickly fades.
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