April 05, 2007

Hedonic Adaptation says that we are made happy by getting stuff and then we "go back" to regular old whatever. (See Hedonic treadmill) So if we know what happiness is (let's just say it's 'a joyful, contented life'), then how do we stay happy? Y'know who might know? the Amish.

As a comedian, you have to start the show strong and you have to end the show strong. Those are the two key elements. You can't be like pancakes. You're all happy at first, but then by the end, you're sick of 'em. --Mitch Hedberg

posted by petebest 17 years ago
  • This post makes me happy.
  • The truth is that our species adapts rather quickly to improved circumstances even when they are dramatic. Just recently I moved into a better apartment. Bigger, better layout, more closet space, much better neighbors. I was just thinking last night about how little I think about how much better off we are. I am, however, happier. I guess I just don't think about it. Also, I have found that the happiest people I know are pretty much selfless, very caring and giving, and not materialistic. The very happiest person I know is a Christian to the core, and is the absolute most selfless person I have ever met. She's got plenty of money (husband's in a high position in a large corporation) but works, and for many years drove an old minivan, only replacing it with another no-frills one when it *had* to be done. She's always laughing and smiling, and is a pure joy to be around. Also also, it's my personal belief that the less complicated life is, the happier it is. I also have a feeling that when work is directly related to a person's livelihood (i.e. farming in order to eat, etc.), the rewards of the job are more evident, making the work more satisfying. If a persons work is satisfying, it stands to reason they'd be happier than someone who isn't satisfied by their job. I think this directly relates to the American public, because most of us seem to hate our jobs. That's another point. If we hate our jobs but are stuck in them because of pay, then we're unhappy because we're burdened by our means to pay for our gadgets, so they don't make us happy; just the opposite (as cited in one of those articles). I used to see someone driving a really nice car as someone who was happy & making it, but recently have realized that most of them are hugely burdened by a high car payment and insurance. I, on the other hand, drive a beat-up 1991 Honda Accord. I certainly am NOT happy with the car, but I think with relief of my non-existent car payment.
  • Obviously, the answer is to keep buying as much new stuff as possible.
  • Or you could just keep winning the lottery like this woman from my neighborhood...
  • Maybe the Amish are just more likely to say they're happy even if they're not, because they don't believe in complaining.
  • But despite her double victory Ms Wilson says she is not planning to quit her job in a local deli where she makes sandwiches and works on the till. There is significance there...
  • I just had another thought. There have been studies lately that suggest happiness can be affected by physical health. That the healthier a person is, the happier they are/tend to be. That makes sense, as a person who doesn't "feel good" is generally not as happy as someone who does. I think.
  • We have a culture and society that thrives on manufactured want. Essentially, we are bombarded by continual messages that we *aren't* happy enough, pretty enough, entertained enough, healthy enough, etc. etc., but will be once we purchase the messenger's product. Of course, once the purchase is made, the product fails to live up to its purveyor's claims, so on we go to the next. I've heard this referred to as "the opposite of therapy," which seems very apt. Fascinating documentary about this: The Ad and the Ego. Watch it if you can find it.
  • One contributor to unhappiness is that people move around a lot. A new city, a new place every few years. And in expecting not to stay long in one place, they don't develop those deep relationships that help to get you out of yourself and into the broader human community. This forces normally sane humans to sign up to less transient communal entities like "Monkeyfilter" where they write "posts" while making little binky noises to themselves.
  • After your comment, StoryBored, I took a look at my sign-up date. Since that day, I have moved four times, each move being no less than ten miles from the last place. Hmmm....
  • binky binky bink binky bink bink
  • no no no, it's *schlurp schlurp schlurp schlurp*, because that's what it sounds like when a baby's got a binky
  • StoryBored, have you read Bowling Alone? (From an earlier FPP.)
  • chug chug chug chug chug...buuuurrrp
  • MonkeyFilter: binky binky bink binky bink bink chlurp schlurp schlurp schlurp hug chug chug chug chug...buuuurrrp makes me happy.
  • I'm waiting for homunculus to chip in, quite possibly with a link about Buddhism....
  • *sits blissfully in silent meditation*
  • StoryBored, have you read Bowling Alone? I haven't but I've heard of it. I should pick up a copy and read it. Also, I don't bowl but i could learn...only...only if i did, I would do it....alone.....WAAAAAAAAAAH! You monkeys are all i have in the world . *wipes eyes* binky binky bink bink
  • I'm telling you MCT, some of us like boink. boink boink boink boink boink BOINK BOINK boinkboinkboinkboinkboinkboink boinkity boink!
  • It sure is getting noisy in here.
  • Experts say that the chances of her winning both games were an incredible 1 in 3,669,120,000,000. Anyone else wonder about these "experts"? Somebody's multiplied 5200000 by 705600, taking two discrete events and imagining an interdependence.
  • Does everyone get GramMa's boink? boink being a sound of happiness. Don't worry. Be happy.
  • No.
  • GramMa's Boinkapalooza: Binky Noises 9-9:30. Cockpunch & PopTarts 10:00 H-Dogg's Empty Mind Desire Removal-O-Rama-Rama 11-??:?? Burping the Little Tool: 3-4:00am
  • Tinky tank ta tinky
  • Somebody's multiplied 5200000 by 705600, taking two discrete events and imagining an interdependence. *can't resist taking bink-happy math derail* I saw it, but isn't it correct as stated? Those two events, winning each lottery, are independent so don't you just multiply the two probabilities together?
  • Sorry, should've said imagining no interdependence. I don't really understand why these are "experts" if all they're doing is giving us Pa X Pb. There's nothing very surprising here - it's a big coincidence, yes, but maybe since she won the first lottery she's been spending $300 a week on scratch cards? Maybe she only buys tickets where the jackpot is a million?
  • She and her children will never again win another lottery due in part to something they saw in the forest.
  • What was it?
  • I'll boink the stuffing out of the LOT of you! Also, the secret to being happy is to give me all your stuff. Then boink me like a minx. It's a formula, but it BLOODY WORKS.
  • The odds of her winning were astronomical but the more interesting number would be the odds of any single lottery winner winning twice. To figure this out we'd need to find out how many lottery winners there have been in the world. Let's say there are 100 weekly lotteries running around the world and they've been running for 30 years. This gives us a pool of 150,000 lottery winners. Assume that half of these still continue to play: 75,000. What are the odds that one of 75,000 people will win a weekly 1-in-5 million lottery? That's about 1 in 66. So we should expect a double lottery winner once every 16-18 months somewhere in the world.
  • *sniff* *sniff* Ewwww! Somebody mathed in here!
  • Can someone tell me where to find a hedonic treadmill? Because the anhedonic ones I've been using are getting me down. I think this is why certain individuals will undertake painful or hazardous activities from time to time, because everything feels so good when they stop. Someone should give the happiness test to David Blaine over time to see whether this makes sense, and to compare his level of contentment to your average Amish person.
  • Ewwww! Somebody mathed in here! It was roryk.
  • and um, Happiness = P + (5xE) + (3xH) as explained here
  • I like complexity! I like being busy. I like accomplishing things. I like producing, remaking, destroying and building up again. and boinking.
  • Tink-a-tank, tink-a-tank, tink-a-tank, (TINKATANK!) Tink-a-tank, tink-a-tank, tink-a-tank, (TINKATANK!) I used to bink and bonk and boink, Just like a lovesick boy! (TINKATANK!)
  • heh. THAT makes me happy.
  • Can someone tell me where to find a hedonic treadmill? You're soaking in it, silly.
  • TONKATRUCKTONKATRUCKTONKATRUCK
  • Happiness is over-rated anyway.
  • It's apparently not as good as happYness.