Hedonistic Adaptation: Why do we always want more?

Achieving happiness and, above all, treasuring it, is not so easy. In addition to the numerous obstacles that life puts in our way, we also take charge of blurring happiness through a very curious mechanism: hedonistic adaptation.

The darkest side of adaptation

Adaptation is a mechanism that allows us to survive even in the most adverse circumstances. When the environment changes, we deploy a series of resources that allow us to adapt to the new circumstances. 

Thanks to our incredible ability to adapt, we can overcome the death of a loved one, overcome the impact of an assault or overcome a natural disaster.

Of course, adaptation requires us to change, to develop new characteristics that allow us to deal with the problem in the best possible way. Adaptation changes us, it makes us more resilient.

From this perspective, it is a positive mechanism as it allows us to move forward despite adversity, developing a stronger “self”.

However, adaptation also has a “darker” side that robs us of happiness. This is hedonistic adaptation, a concept that refers to the fact that even the situations that produce the most pleasure and happiness, when repeated day after day, cease to be gratifying.

As time goes by, the joy and excitement we experienced, as well as the pride in what we had achieved, diminish. We begin to see the situation as something “normal”, we get used to it and it loses its charm of novelty.

The biggest problem is that if we don’t realize that our decision has changed, we run the risk of feeling permanently unhappy, always going for more, without ever feeling satisfied. In this way, we will need increasingly intense experiences to obtain the same degree of satisfaction, just as happens with people who suffer from an addiction.

Is it possible to escape from hedonistic adaptation?

Researchers at the University of California recruited people who had recently experienced two types of life changes. The first change could be labeled “circumstantial,” and involved alterations in environmental circumstances, such as moving, getting a raise, or buying a new car. The second change, labeled “intentional,” required effort on the part of the person to achieve a goal, such as starting a college degree or writing a book.

All of these people were asked to rate their happiness levels over several weeks. The results showed that they all experienced an increase in their happiness level immediately after the change.

However, happiness quickly reverted to its initial levels in those who had experienced circumstantial change. However, those who experienced intentional change continued to report higher levels of happiness for longer. Why?

We feel happy when we have positive experiences. However, if we have the same experience over and over again, no matter how wonderful it is, it will soon become familiar and that new source of happiness will gradually dry up, generating less pleasure and satisfaction.

Circumstantial changes are the ones that tend to produce this effect the fastest. Moving to a new house or buying a new mobile phone immediately generates great happiness, but this also quickly diminishes.

On the contrary, intentional changes allow us to avoid hedonistic adaptation because they continually create new scenarios and present us with new psychological challenges. In these cases, our brain is continually fed with new positive experiences.

3 antidotes to hedonistic adaptation

Hedonic adaptation is a mechanism that is automatically activated in all of us. However, that doesn’t mean that it can’t be stopped. In fact, it’s enough to change our way of thinking and carefully choose the things we focus on.

1. Opt for intentional changes.  One of the keys to escaping hedonistic adaptation is to choose intentional changes. Strive to start a new project in your life that really motivates you and fits your personality. Identify the essential elements that make you enjoy that activity and look for similar but different activities that also generate that satisfaction. For example, if you enjoy playing tennis, you can also consider badminton and squash. It is about always including different changes that involve something new, setting new goals that keep you motivated.
2. Look back with gratitude.  Sometimes, looking back is a good idea, especially to realize where we are on the path and understand how much we have achieved. In fact, always looking ahead can be frustrating. That is why it is recommended to look back to remember the path we have taken to get to where we are. Rejoice in our achievements and our efforts. Remembering that what we have is the result of sacrifices is often enough to make us feel grateful again and to regain satisfaction and happiness. 
3. Don’t take anything for granted.  One of the mechanisms of action of hedonistic adaptation is based on the fact that once we have achieved something, we take it for granted. However, in reality, everything we have, from possessions to the people we love, could be taken away from us tomorrow by fate. Therefore, an excellent antidote to hedonistic adaptation is to take advantage of the effects of gratitude every day, to feel grateful for those things that make us happy. Never take anything for granted, on the contrary, force yourself every day to appreciate those things at their true value.

References:

Sheldon, KM, & Lyubomirsky, S. (2007) Is it possible to become happier? (And if so, how?)  Social and Personality Psychology Compass ; 1: 129–145. 

Sheldon, KM, & Lyubomirsky, S. (2006) Achieving sustainable happiness: Change your actions, not your circumstances.  Journal of Happiness Studies ; 7:55–86.