Rapid responses to situations help an individual survive, and neurochemical mechanisms are well suited to that. However, our biology has also helped us to thrive as a species and happiness has helped.Įvolve for Longer-Term Happiness & Fulfillment The rapid chemical and neurologically mediated responses to stimuli helped primitive humans survive. Like in pharmacology, that could mean an increase in the frequency of dosing at a lower level and/or a more gradual release over time instead of large boluses. Generally, the more current and concrete the loss, the stronger the stimulus is.įor more persistent lasting happiness, we can try to achieve a smoother but higher steady state of our positive fluctuations. ![]() It could be purely on paper, like seeing your investment portfolio down. That loss could be physical, like paying for something with physical cash. ![]() One of the ways that pain is prevalent with our financial behavior is loss. The pleasure and pain processing pathways are intertwined and interact with each other. However, the same areas of the brain light up with unpleasant non-physical stimuli. On the other side of the equation is pain or discomfort. A region also integral to the encoding of memory. Anatomically, much of this occurs in the primitive limbic system of our brains. They get released when we experience positive emotions, but also by activities like exercise. Some of the biology behind happiness has to do with the chemicals of positive emotion: endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. We can make efforts to improve our circumstances and change our cognitive-behavioral approaches. Still, the point remains that there are actions that we can take to be happier. This sounds very quantitative, but it is based softer science. That leaves a whopping 40-47% that we can modulate through how we think and behave. About 3-10% of our happiness is due to external circumstances. Only about 50% of our baseline happiness set-point is genetically determined. The first thing to understand, is that it is not hopeless. Beyond geeking-out, understanding some of the biology behind the hedonic treadmill can help us to find practical ways of regulating it to an appropriate speed. I was a medical nerd long before becoming a finance nerd. In contrast, progressively more luxuriant vacations without those other synergistic links may not yield the same persistent results. The link between experiences and persistent happiness is strongest when those experiences also strengthen relationships, provide meaning, or result in self-improvement. However, not all experiences were created equal in hacking hedonic adaptation. Spending to have more experiences is associated with more lasting happiness than buying stuff. However, the biology of human adaptation equally applies to “experiences”. A testament to Apple’s successful marketing and strategy for world domination. For some reason, blog posts on the topic are riddled with references to the next iPhone. The hedonic treadmill is usually epitomized by the much-maligned pursuit and accumulation of more “stuff”. Fortunately, there are ways to enjoy spending in moderation, using the tips in this post and some imagination. The purpose of that is to also spend some money to get comfort and security in return. Plus, we give up comfort and effort to earn money. ![]() Pent-up demand will usually win out eventually. However, that approach similarly results in being ejected into the nearest wall. On the other extreme, to suddenly stop running and become a financial monk seems like a solution. Fortunately, at a controlled speed you can regain your footing. ![]() Even if you balance well, life happens, and you will stumble. That can happen if you cannot keep up with earning the required income. The speed becomes a problem when you can no longer keep up and end up doing a lip-skid. That continual pursuit of more stimulation results in us ratcheting up our spending, like turning up the speed on a treadmill, to keep the party going. We then seek out more stimulation in an effort to increase our happiness again. Humans have the tendency to adapt to their circumstances and return to a baseline level of happiness.
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