The hedonic treadmill
 

I'd never heard this term before today. Fascinating. It explains a lot. I'm making a vow to jump of the damned thing in 2010. Who's with me?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedonic_treadmill

I dunno, it seems to have some advantages if you're on the way down. :)

John

This is gonna piss off allot of wing nuts.

"money does not buy happiness and that the pursuit of money as a way to reach this goal is futile" :D

Never been on it so I would not know.

I came to the conclusion years ago that money is an object that you give to people to make them go away.

Case in point, loan $20 to an asshole you don't like and you'll never see him again.

There's more to being a hedonist than having money.

Chas

I learned a long time ago that if you want to help a junkie or an alcoholic, give them a $20 and you have made a fellow human truely happy.

It seems the same folks who believe the wealthy "earned it" are the same folks that will not give to the desperate.

go figure

Very interesting. I found that once I latched onto a decent paying job, ($50-$60k/yr.), my desire for more faded. I have my little house, nice car, kickass stereo, I'm certainly not going hungry, and I'm able to save for retirement. I guess you could call that "happy". But, it amazes me the people who can't understand that. "There's so much more!; Start your own business, make your fortune, go back to school, you're only 45 you could still make your millions!" Why can't they understand that I don't NEED all of that and that I see the pursuit of it as an unnecessary burden?

I once knew a man who was highly educated and had reached a top managerial position. He was a Plant Manager at his old job, but came to work with us as a machinist, which was what he started out as. I asked why he would take such a big step down. He said, "David, at that level you are married to your job. People calling you day and night, bothering you while you are on vacation, expecting you and your family to show up at functions, your life is no longer your own. Now, I just come in, work off whatever jobs they have for me, and go home. The pay is only a third what I used to make, but it's not bad. I love this." Of course he had already made lots of money. Having been to his home, I could see this. So.......

Just thought of this, 'cuz that was one example I've seen of someone "Stepping off" of the the hedonistic treadmill. And he was a happy man.

Dave

But why on earth get on it in the first place? That was the bit that I never could understand. They said you have the right to pursue happiness, they never said (or even implied) that you would ever catch it. The best thing is to quietly go about your life and let it find you.

[QUOTE=merrylander;11227]But why on earth get on it in the first place? [QUOTE]

I'll tell you why. It is part of the American culture. I though success was measured by economic achievement. It's not.

Actually, I think the "treadmill" is really only a means of observing what's postulated as being a characteristic of human nature: that we experience a relatively fixed state of happiness, regardless of circumstances. The treadmill is merely the instrument for determining changes in our circumstances against which our degree of happiness can be measured.

John

Well put and pretty much indisputable.

[QUOTE=noonereal;11228][QUOTE=merrylander;11227]But why on earth get on it in the first place? American culture? Now there is an intersting thought.:D

A fixed state of happiness? Can't say that ever happened to me, prior to ending my first marriage I seriously contemplated sending my car into a bridge abutment at full throttle.

Then I met my present wife and I now know what constitutes true happiness.

I was kinda on it, but since I got canned a couple years ago, I've been much happier, really. I'm rich now if I have $20 in my pocket. I got enuf "Stuff" to keep me occupied from now on. I put in 29 years at a family owned business, after my family sold it out, the new bunch decided I was anachronistic, I guess. I thought they were a bunch of Philistines-None of us knew what we were doing, we were all idiots, etc. They treated us like a bunch of 15-yr-olds at our 1st job at McDonald's-You were LATE if you got there at 8.00.01, you left early if you left at 4.59.30, you got 1 hour for lunch, too damn bad if you had to run to town & pay bills or somesuch-"Can't you do it online ?" was their standard thing, & they'd fire you if you went to the doctor too much.

There was a question posed when the NY governor was exposed as haiving used a high dollar call girl, why should someone who was charismatic and successful have to pay for his pleasure. The answer was the men in that position don't pay for sex, they pay for the woman to go away afterward, and not say anything.

As far as the measure of success being financial, I have always rejected that idea. The most important job I have ever had in my life was raising two sons who are now happy, responsible, and purusing their education in areas that excite them. I would like to think that their mother and I have taught them to measure their success in meaningful ways.

Regards,

D-Ray

Regards,

D-Ray

I think the focus of the hedonic treadmill is economic circumstances. I also doubt anyone could seriously argue against the effect of of events in our personal lives on our degree of happiness.

It could be argued that events in our personal life are largely transitory. They can cause significant swings of the needle on our "Personal Happiness Meter" but the needle will center again after a time. I think that may be true.

John

Sounds like you had it really good----then got a taste of what the rest of us go through.

Tastes like shit, doesn't it, Sandy?

Dave