The Hedonic Treadmill
Life is good, bad, and bizarre; you’re pick.
Hedonia describes the private sense of experiencing positive feelings immediately. It is the subjective state of feeling on top of the world. Perhaps the oldest term to capture the essence of human happiness is the quirky word, pronounced “hee-dow-nee-uh,” derived from the Greek root Hedone, meaning “pleasure.”
On the surface, there’s nothing wrong with pursuing happiness. Truthfully, much of modern culture is deeply embedded in the notion that happiness, above all, is the ultimate aspiration. To be “happy” seems to suggest having a life worth living.
Yet, if happiness is elusive to many and rarely within reach to some, who are we to say that their struggle discounts the value of their life? Perhaps what’s amiss in this equation is the belief that happiness is the climactic dream.
The history of happiness reveals variations of this highly sought-after state of mind. Psychological research has distilled happiness down to having a good or pleasant life, and, lest we forget the greater good, there is also a meaningful life.
To balance these different slices of happiness, an intriguing question to ask is,
“How happy are people in general?”
Introducing the hedonic treadmill sheds a bright light on this intriguing question. This concept was developed by psychologists Brickman and Campbell and expanded by the British psychologist Michael Eysenck. The main idea is that after experiencing the ups and downs of everyday life, humans return to a baseline level of happiness.
Can that be true? If so, I’m disappointed. I thought good things in life make us feel better. Are you telling me that after getting a raise, meeting my soul mate, or even winning the lottery, my happiness doesn’t budge? That doesn’t seem right.
The phenomenon of returning to baseline is the treadmill. The point of the treadmill is to show that your happiness levels don’t fluctuate over the long run. As you step into life, you’ll experience bursts of pleasure or sadness. The good news is that after being knocked off your feet by something unpleasant, you’ll bounce back. Of course, it works the other way too. Your sense of happiness gradually dissipates after you strike gold and jump for joy. Do you now see the upside to having fleeting moments of glee and gloom?
The illustration below shows the hedonic treadmill in action.
Here's what is known when the happiness research is distilled into bite-sized chunks.
Happiness is highly overrated. Word of warning, there is no citation associated with this thought; it’s an idea that bounces around inside my head, a notion that feels right but needs to be explained. The pursuit of happiness seems overwrought. Ever since Freud introduced the pleasure principle, a psychic force deep within that motivates humans to seek instant gratification and satisfy their most primal needs, my thought has been, “There has to be something much more to life than pursuing happiness.” Then it hit me, what’s beyond happiness is fulfillment. Whether it’s completing a project, doing a good deed, or being there for someone in need, the sense of fulfilling promises you made to yourself, now that’s the stuff worth shouting from the mountaintop.
According to the research, the key to being consistently happy is to have new experiences. So, it’s vital that you do an internal risk assessment. Then double dare yourself to increase your willingness to stick your neck out, take chances, sign up for an adventure, put your butt on the line, and, if smart, consider skating on thin ice. While there are no promises that things will always work out, what is guaranteed is that your life will never be the same.
Research conducted by Sonja Lyubomirsky indicates that 10% of your happiness is based on life circumstances. However, 40% of your happiness is under your control. Therefore, the burden is on you to find ways to get off your baseline. This is done by mixing things up, trying something new, and stretching the envelope.
Research suggests that the happier you are, the more optimistic you become about yourself, others, and the world around you. Even if this research is only approximately correct, it’s worth investing in becoming happier.
Not everyone finds happiness in the same places. What turns on one person may annoy another. For some, collecting trinkets makes them smile. For others, the ones who go big focus on self-improvement, which makes them smile from ear to ear.
Some research suggests that gratification rather than seeking pleasure is the way to find lasting contentment, which improves your optimism and, in turn, puts you in a better place overall.
Summing up and moving on, while money can’t buy happiness, it can buy many other things that make you feel momentarily happy. Just be very careful. Be forewarned, the treadmill doesn’t run itself. You need to step on and keep running because your happiness is up to you.
The answer to the question, “How happy are people in general?” is that it depends. With an open mind, adventurous spirit, and determined focus, you can be as happy as you dare. One last piece of advice: try trading the treadmill for an outdoor trail. Amazing things happen out there.
Press the button below to learn more about how your mind works as described in Dr. Zierk’s book, Mind Rules: Who’s in Control, You or Your Mind?