Can self development combat hedonic adaptation?

Can self development combat hedonic adaptation?

What is hedonic adaptation?

You win a substantial  amount on the lottery and are very happy when you are photographed with the cheque in your hand. You go on a spending spree and:

• buy a new house
• buy designer clothes
• buy a fantastic sports car
• go on holiday to a luxurious tropical hotel

A year later, with most of the money spent, you reflect on your life and find that you are no happier than before you won the money.

You may protest that if you did win the lottery then you would still be very happy because of this a year later. But, in a classic study made in the 1970′s, psychologists interviewed some lucky individuals who had won substantial amounts on the lottery. Less than a year afterwards they reported being no more happy than people who had not won.

They also said that they derived less enjoyment from day-to-day activities such as watching television or going out to lunch.

Why is this?

The process where something that once gave you lots of happiness and now no longer does is called by Positive Psychologists ‘hedonic adaptation.’ The lottery winner example is perhaps an extreme example of hedonic adaptation. There are, however, lots of more normal examples that illustrate hedonic adaptation:

• On your wedding day you are full of love and joy, Two years down the line and your relationship seems dull.
• You spend years dreaming about owning a big house by the lake. One day you move into your new lake house and are overjoyed. A year later you feel that you will die unless you get that house in the next street that has more rooms and a bigger garden than you.
• You take delivery of a brand new Porsche sports car. Ten years later you see it as an old banger.
• Your first computer appeared to be a wonder of technology with all its shiny windows and icons. Now you take it for granted as you sit down to read your emails.

What hedonic adaption shows is that you have a hard time being content with what you have or when you see others having more. So how do you overcome hedonic adaptation? There are several ways to do this.

• Try stopping each day and being grateful for everything in your life.
• Learn how to become less attached to your possessions so that, for example, if your Porsche crashes, you can adapt to life without it.
• Don’t base your happiness on external things but look to your own inner resources for this.
• Cut back on the frequency of luxurious enjoyment. If you get a cinnamon dolce latte twice a week instead of every morning, it will feel like a real treat.
• Savour the good things in your life. Take time out to simply enjoy them.

Positive Self Development involves looking at how to achieve long lasting happiness and success in life and teaches you how to avoid hedonic adaptation. Return regularly to the site for more resources and information

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