
Yes you get that initial sensation from having this new adorable puppy. The want to add a furry friend has been with you for a while and you finally decide to take the step to buy your own puppy.You then get that same feeling, so you repeat the process of getting that elation and going on holiday. You go on your holiday and return after having a killer time. You have been planning a trip to Europe for a while and you have finally saved up enough money to book your tickets to your dream holiday.

You guessed it while the initial buzz is amazing we as individuals will then step back to a normal level as we become used to that new salary. Unfortunately the same rings true when you are at work and you receive that amazing salary increase you well and truly deserve.

We as humans become accustomed to that feeling and we no longer experience the same sensation. When you bite into something that tastes amazing you will get a greater sense of pleasure than you wold say ten bites in.

“Since these conveniences by becoming habitual had almost entirely ceased to be enjoyable, and at the same time degenerated into true needs, it became much more cruel to be deprived of them than to possess them was sweet, and men were unhappy to lose them without being happy to possess them.” He explains this hedonic adaptation as follows: Jean-Jacques eloquently explains this human phenomenon in his 1752 book Discourse on Inequality. No matter what happens we all tend to return to the same baseline of happiness. But people repeatedly return to a baseline level of happiness. The first notion of this was explained by Jean-Jacques Rousseau with a theory which spoke about humans being on a hedonic treadmill, where they rise in happiness due to external influences. Where did the concept of hedonistic adaptation come from? In this post I will talk a little more about where the whole concept originated from, some examples of the hedonic treadmill and some steps you can take to get off it. Unfortunately for some this wicked rotation of seeking out this elevation in happiness can turn into a cyclical nightmare of chasing happiness. So this hedonistic adaptation is purely this feeling of elation and then coming down from it to normal levels of happiness. My car has literally just become another car.

Now month’s later I no longer have that feeling, the happiness boost. That happiness buzz you feel due to the acquisition of a new vehicle. Those first few weeks provided that new car feeling. For years I had been planning to spoil myself when I turned forty, so alas I bought by myself a Jaguar. I recently experienced this when I purchased my first ever “luxury” car. The most common which I’m sure you will relate to is the purchase of a new car. You are all familiar with all these moments in life. Hedonistic adaptation, which is also known as the hedonic treadmill is the process of feeling elation and elevated happiness due to acquiring something new or achieving something.
