We live in a world where we're always after the next thing.
We buy a phone and the next year a new one is released and we suddenly value our current one less and try to justify a new one.
This is fairly well known that we are always seeking the next thing to buy which will bring us happiness.
On a smaller scale it isn't the end of the world. You buy a new t-shirt, a new pair of shoes, even a new phone.
But on a macro scale, it can really influence your life.
Lets say you say to yourself "ahh I can't wait to get XYZ car, it'll make me so happy and add to my image". Then when you get the car, over time you get used to it, this is known as regression to the mean or the Hedonic Treadmill.
"The hedonic treadmill, is the observed tendency of humans quickly return to a relatively stable level of happiness despite major positive or negative events or life changes."
The vision you have of yourself contains the car, that's one piece of the puzzle. You then realise that whilst it brought you happiness when you first got it, the reason why you're not as happy is now is because the picture isn't complete.
You're missing the big house, the job title, the partner.
You say to yourself that "once you achieve all those things, then you'll be happy"
A few years down the line, you work your way up the corporate ladder, you buy the house and you marry the partner that you pictured in your vision.
You've sacrificed a lot to reach that point.
One day when you're drifting off to sleep and it hits you.
You're not as happy as you thought you'd be. The novelty has all worn off.
What do you do at that point?
You've prioritised work, made every decision based on this vision of your life and you realise that it isn't the life that actually makes you happy?
There are 3 stages here
- Acknowledging that the Hedonic Treadmill exists
- Realising that if you're progressing along a path that isn't the right one, having the courage to change path
- Finding the right path for you
There's nothing wrong with choosing the pursuit of material gains and constantly searching for more.
But if it's not for you but feeling that it is because of the amount of advertising that is shoved in our face, realising what to set your focus on is tricky.
It is certainly something that has impacted how I choose to spend my money. I would say that I am currently midway through stage 2. I still have a way to go but figuring out which way to go is going to have to take a deep period of introspection.