Hedonic Treadmill!

Think about all your fancy possessions. Is there any one you can think of that makes you smile whenever you see it, that can brighten you up when you have had a bad day, or can keep the low feeling at bay because you have it? I have lots of things I love but none would fit that description.

Sometime back, I came across a term 'hedonic treadmill' while reading a book. The concept seemed intriguing and I decided to find out more about it.Wikipedia defines it as follows:

'Hedonic Treadmill is the tendency of humans to quickly return to a relatively stable level of happiness despite major positive or negative events or life changes. As a person makes more money, expectations and desires rise in tandem, which results in no permanent gain in happiness.'

Basically, when we get used to something it stops feeling nice.Human beings are blessed with the gift of quick adaptation.So we get bored of our luxuries fast and find new things to run after.Come to think of it, I got Rs 2,000 per month as pocket money from my parents when I was in college. Today, my disposable income has jumped manifold but my happiness levels have not.

Researchers believe that money, up to a certain point, makes people happier because it lets them meet basic needs. The certain point they are talking about is $10,000 ( roughly Rs. 500,000) per year. Most people I know make way more money but are still running after  more money because they believe more will make them happier. Once you are past that point, stop trying to accumulate more to enjoy tomorrow. Make that money work hard, today, to achieve your ultimate goal: your tryst with Mr Happiness!

Scientists studied 9 major categories of consumptions and their correlation to happiness. They discovered that the only category to be positively related to happiness was leisure and experiences: vacations, entertainment, sports, concerts, foreign language lessons, cookery classes, etc. Spending money for an experience produces longer-lasting satisfaction than spending money on the fancy LV bag. Experiences helps build & strengthen your center and if it is a group activity it strengthens relationships, which in turn leads to happiness. The quality of people’s relationships has the strongest correlation with their happiness.

A famous professor Richard Schoch said," If we crave material luxuries, then it will become harder and harder to be happy. No shoe will be stylish enough, no car fast enough, no house palatial enough because in the chain of desire there is no last link."