Barry Schwartz of The Daily Beast wrote an article on the
links between consumption and happiness. He stated that people fall victim to a
phenomenon called hedonic adaptation, which is the action of getting accustomed
to new objects, and eventually, the joy and excitement from a new product will
fade into normalcy. Schwartz argued that the population has been conditioned to
stay on a “hedonic treadmill”, where people get caught up in the next big thing
and forget how eventually, products don’t really give substantial fulfillment.
Instead, he suggested that extra money would provide more sustainable
contentment when spent on experiences to create memories that can be relived.
Taylor’s
post about the economic revenue from Valentines Day falls into the “hedonic
treadmill” ideal. 13.9 billions dollars is spent on average each year in ways
of flowers, candy, jewelry, meals out, and much more. Does this practice really
bring happiness? Not in the eyes of the hedonic adaptation enthusiasts. The new
piece of jewelry won’t be perceived as shiny and new for long. The bouquet of
roses will eventually die, making them no longer aesthetically pleasing. A
sunset hike, however, would be romantic and memorable. And a lot cheaper than
diamonds.
Perhaps
next year, an effort should be taken to do something out of the box. Make a
meal instead of a reservation and craft a gift instead of spending hundreds at
Jared’s. Barry Schwartz, along with psychologists and some economists, argue
that creating experiences produces more happiness. Isn’t that the point of
Valentines Day, anyway? Partners want to make each other happy and feel
special, and knowing that material objects can only bring about bliss for a
limited time, isn’t it time to shift perspectives?
Schwartz, Barry.
"Consumption Makes Us Sad? Science Says We Can Be Happy With Less." The
Daily Beast. Newsweek/Daily Beast. Web. 3 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/01/14/consumption-makes-us-sad-science-says-we-can-be-happy-with-less.html>.
I've read similar articles as well, that talk about how contentment will never come from "things," but from experiences. I can even think of recent events in my own life that demonstrate this principle. When I think back to my high school prom, I don't remember the expensive dress or new shoes I spent so much time picking out - I remember dancing with all my friends and going to cookout in our prom dresses and bowling at 1 in the morning. I'm making an effort to live for experiences instead of things.
ReplyDeleteI have to say my own experience has confirmed this too! Just make sure to take many mementos from your experiences to relieve them frequently.
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