You won’t be enjoying it as much.
Ever noticed when you got very excited/happy/fascinated by something and then stopped feeling so elated too quickly? That something could be:
seeing the view from a skyscraper
falling in love with a piece of clothes/song
getting coffee in a fancy cafe
studying in a Harry Potter-style Harper (?)
Ever wondered why? Well, apart from simply meaning “getting used to things”, the phenomenon has an actual name - hedonic adaptation. I am also personally assigning it similar concepts - the law of diminishing returns (hi Econs!) and the magic of the first sip. All saying the same - the pleasure decreases as the quantity increases.
Hedonic adaptation and pleasure
Hedonic adaptation explains that humans tend to return to a stable level of moral state after experiencing either a big positive “earthquake” or a negative one. This model of hedonic treadmill represents it visually:
So you can see how it accounts for both positive and negative events. Those can also represent things you really liked and disliked, so I want to ponder about how your perception of them changes over time!
Hedonic adaptation and beauty
I am sure you can come up with dozens of examples from every day. Well, me too ;). Then let’s reflect on our lives together. But this is MODA, so let’s focus on beauty, yep?
The first time I saw the night Chicago, I couldn’t worry about anything else — only that view occupied my mind, and my aesthetic hunger was satisfied more than ever. However, as the time passed, I wanted more for my dinner, or else, I would have to wait for a bit until I could indulge in that beauty after starving.
Now, let’s dig deeper. Or rather, broader.
I have friends who visited both Milan and Paris — the epicenters of fashion (maybe you heard about them;) ). From their words, people there tend to be naturally stylish and give the atmosphere of fashion. We also know that both countries are respected for their sophisticated mastery of art. So, is there a coincidence between the majesty of the the French and Italian architectural beauty and the human nature of its citizens? I believe so, and the actor behind the scenes is hedonic adaptation.
Because they are surrounded by the beautiful views all the time, they don’t perceive them as unusual or pleasing— which is obvious. But apart from accounting for happiness, I believe hedonic adaptation is also responsible to the high beauty standards of the French and Italians. That is why I think they differ from one country to another on a grand scale, as well as from one person to another — on a small one.
Fashion trends
Quickly changing? Different? Innovative? For the same reason. I believe that due to hedonic adaptation, our eye becomes a picky fashion critic demanding new, better, and more. So, I am sure that models are excited about the plethora of fancy clothes just at the beginning, after which a shiny Versace blouse doesn’t tempt them as much.
Sad? A bit. Only sad? Not at all.
Now, your turn to share your examples. But while you do, I wonder how you feel about it. Indifferent? Disappointed? Encouraged? I, personally, get sad after realizing that the fascination is usually quickly gone. I feel ungrateful after realizing that “the mind-blowing” becomes “the ordinary”. But I also see some consoling advantages in this phenomenon. We are still talking about beauty. Those could be:
well, you also quickly recover from the depressing Zoom sceneries (or a coffee-stained white shirt. or the image of your face with a 4h sleep).
it’s creatively simulating. your artistic perception improves, and so does your aesthetic criticism!
eventually, your demand for standard of living raises. and doesn’t your impeccable taste deserve to be satisfied?
So hi here, at the end, reader. What I want you to leave with is: realizing that, perhaps, workers of The Empire State Building get bored with the view over time, so you won’t lose by not achieving this common dream of most of us.
Hedonic adaptation is a very natural tendency, and I think it is important to be aware of what pushes you to say “it’s nothing special” versus “it’s unutterable!”
And to be left speechless more often, please refer to this guide of using hedonic adaptation to increase your level of happiness ;).
