

We will continue by diving into the extensive research we have found to date on the hedonic treadmill and then proceed to explain how exactly this will benefit you in your day-to-day experience.ġ. The empirical study of happiness brings a new angle of clarity to the notion of sustained levels of happiness and understanding this can bring an incredible level of joy and improve our decision making abilities.

Very frequently we hear of great sages discussing the pursuit of happiness as futile and nonsensical, putting happiness in line with all other worldly pursuits temporary in nature and therefore impermanent and unnecessary, unable to add to our true, authentic happiness. However, the notion of happiness being responsive to events and returning to a baseline has been heard of for centuries, often discussed in philosophical and spiritual circles. The first use of the word hedonic treadmill was well over 30 years ago in a research paper entitled “Hedonic Relativism and Planning the Good Society”, discussing the tendency of people’s happiness to remain at a relatively stable baseline, despite external ‘positive’ or ‘negative’ events.
#HEDONIC TREADMILL DOWNLOAD#
Important: Please download the accompanying 4-Week Hedonic Treadmill Implementation Worksheet to begin putting into practice the strategies for long term happiness, starting today. In doing so I hope to empower you to move forward with a much more thorough understanding of happiness so you can prepare and respond to current and future events with clarity and peace of mind. The purpose of this article is to provide a deep understanding of the principles, not only of the term known as ‘hedonic treadmill’ but the notion of happiness being adaptable and the inherent underlying reasons why this may be. our increase or decrease in happiness after an event eventually returns to a ‘happiness set point’ because we psychologically adapt to that new experience, whatever it may be. If you haven’t heard of the term ‘hedonic treadmill’ before, this article aims to present exactly – from the ground up – what it is and why it is important.Įssentially, it’s the notion that human happiness adapts to our experience, i.e.

If you are serious about understanding and mastering the art of happiness, which I’ve come to learn and respect that you are, the hedonic treadmill is a topic that you must absolutely be aware of.
