Chapter 01 of 5
The Hedonic Treadmill
Why new cars, pay rises and even lottery wins tend to wear off.
- The Idea
Running to stand still
In 1971, psychologists coined the term 'hedonic treadmill' for how people adjust to good and bad changes, drifting back toward their usual mood.
- Adaptation
The new normal
A new car, phone or home brings a burst of pleasure — then quickly becomes ordinary. This is called hedonic adaptation.
- 1978
Lottery winners
A famous study found lottery winners weren't much happier than other people a while after their win.
17 more cards in this chapter
Could you answer this?
What did a large 2020 study of Swedish lottery winners find?
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🌤️ The Science of Happiness
- 01The Hedonic TreadmillWhy new cars, pay rises and even lottery wins tend to wear off.
- 02Does Money Buy Happiness?A famous income limit — and how researchers overturned it together.
- 03The 80-Year StudyWhat one of the longest studies of adult life found matters most.
- 04Experiences vs ThingsWhere spending, and planning, actually bring joy.
- 05What Actually HelpsHappiness habits that hold up — and claims that don't.