The Hedonic Treadmill, we always want more

The concept of the hedonic treadmill suggests that humans quickly return to a stable level of happiness despite positive or negative events. As people acquire more, their expectations and desires rise in tandem, resulting in no permanent increase in happiness. Some researchers suggest that people do not necessarily return to a particular level of happiness and that psychologists need to consider environmental factors' impact on well-being. Economist Richard Easterlin observed that between 1958 and 1987, real income in Japan increased fivefold, but self-reported happiness did not increase. Sonja Lyubomirsky suggests that people can increase their happiness by consciously choosing to count their blessings, reframe situations positively or perform kind acts. Tammy Strobel, a former project manager, found that the acquisition of material goods doesn’t bring about happiness. Studies indicate that **spending on leisure and experiences strengthens social bonds, which amplifies happiness, whereas buying luxury goods can lead to an endless cycle of one-upmanship**. Harvard professor Arthur C. Brooks suggests swapping a traditional bucket list for a "reverse bucket list," where one lists their wants and attachments and then compares that list to their vision of a truly happy and successful life.---sources: https://arc.net/folder/60F54671-DDCF-4560-BE2F-2E5AD6F0952EGenerated by Notebook LLM