The hedonic treadmill and happiness paradox

When happiness is sold to us as the ultimate goal of life, it is another fleeting emotion, just like sadness, anger, or fear. The notion that life should always be a state of happiness is an up-to-date lie heightened through selective sharing over social media platforms. These platforms are awash with moments of joy and triumph, reflecting almost never on the struggle and mundane that make up so much of human experience. 

Such a huge disparity creates this: life becomes so weighted that, in comparison, any moment not filled with loud happiness is a failure or defect in one's life. 

The impact of this misconception is profound. It drives people into a continuous chase for pleasure, and this state is known as hedonism. But this way is really paved with paradoxes. The more we chase happiness in some external pleasures or achievements, the more it eludes us. 

The thrill of new experiences or possessions quickly peaks and then recedes into what psychologists' call "hedonic adaptation." Basically, our happiness baseline just keeps moving, taking more and more time to feel the same degree of joy. 

This searching and accommodating cycle will eventually shackle the individual into pursuing the "next high" from here to eternity without experiencing the depth and breadth of the human emotional spectrum.

The Hedonic Treadmill: Running from Reality 

The hedonic treadmill, which is based on the idea that no matter what one achieves or acquires, his level of happiness will typically return to a predetermined point, is buried deep within all of these life lessons. We look for the next hit when the excitement of a new purchase, promotion, or social media post wears off. It leads to a life of hedonism, where the never-ending chase for pleasure is the sole purpose of life.

This pursuit, however, has significant consequences. Firstly, it narrows our emotional experiences. The constant chase of highs makes them less satisfactory over time, decreases their effect, and makes life appear dim and not so rewarding. And this regular pursuit often leads to withdrawal from an entire range of feelings.

Taken together, this contributes to our indispensable share of joy, sorrow, anger, and fear in our psychological development and how we receive the world. Emphasising nothing but happiness would make us emotionally dwarfish, unable to relate wholeheartedly to the complex tapestry of human experience. 

Furthermore, the pursuit of happiness through hedonism will lead one to have only superficial emotional experiences. It will make people not pay heed to or repress the occurrence of unpleasant emotions if they attempt to keep the appearance of being happy all the time, and, hence, they will not experience life authentically. 

Finding Balance: Embracing the Full Spectrum of Emotions 

True happiness is within the acceptance and understanding of the full range of human emotions, and that is the key to life. Purely, happiness is not a stage that is constant but a brief and elusive moment that receives value in its rarity and authenticity. Only then can fuller and more balanced living be realised when one finally accepts that emotional experiences are diverse.

Only by knowing happiness will we appreciate how much the other emotions are worth. Sadness can actually be what brings about empathy and a sense of understanding; anger can be the cause of change and growth; fear, on the other hand, can solicit preparedness and cautiousness. 

Every emotion, place, and purpose are emotion, support for its development, and guidance through the difficulties of life.

Moreover, embracing the full range of emotions enables us to build deeper, more meaningful relationships. Sharing with others definitely brings one another closer, not only in moments of joy but also in times of sorrow and struggle. 

Definitely, this one is what strengthens genuine connections based on mutual support and understanding. Those relationships, which are based on authenticity, are what keep us emotionally alive.

Beyond Hedonism: Cultivating Sustainable Well-Being 

It would take them beyond the pursuit of momentary pleasurable activities. It would shift their focus onto activities and experiences offering deeper, more long-lasting sources of gratification. 

In fact, such practices as mindfulness, gratitude, and kindness boosted overall well-being in a sustained fashion. These practices lead the individual to move away from temporal concerns to find more meaning and sustainability in their well-being.

Mindfulness is that which grounds one within the moment. It leads to appreciation of now, not the next thrill, setting very literally our hearts aflutter to live with everything by very much turning even ordinary moments into a profound experience. 

Gratitude literally shifts our focus from what is missing to what there is in plenty, hence looking content with what is right before our eyes. It is a daily practice of looking for the good, however small, and cherishing it to build a resilience reserve against life's inevitable challenges. Kindness is the movement towards ever deeper connection to both ourselves and others, in which we foster a sense of community and belonging. 

Acts of kindness do not only benefit the giver but also the receiver. They show well-being in society that transcends individual pursuits of happiness. Perhaps nothing is more likely to cultivate and resonate with our core than the pursuit of passions, contributing to communities, or honing skills. 

Being in activities that give one deep satisfaction and a sense of purpose, these are intrinsically rewarding, durable in achievement, and fulfilling independently of accolades from the outside world.

Confronting the challenges and staring at the failures as opportunities to grow tend to foster resilience and a realistic appreciation for the spectrum of human experiences. This finally leads one to a balanced perspective on life where the pursuit of growth and understanding predominates over the allure of transient pleasures. 

From this, there will follow a much richer, more fulfilling life characterised by a great appreciation of the journey itself, ebbs and flows included. This path fosters sustainable well-being, deeply rooted in the acknowledgment and embrace of life's full spectrum. 

Rethinking Happiness in the Age of Social Media 

In conclusion, the constant pressure to be happy from social media and society presents an unrealistic and harmful picture. It sends us down a path into hedonism, where pleasure-chasing becomes a goal in itself and, in the process, soon calls for the physiological experience to take its due. 

By viewing happiness as a transient state and accepting every range of emotion, perhaps we are well on our way towards living a truer, much more satisfying life.

It's time to redefine our understanding of happiness, recognising it as one of many emotions that enrich our lives. By plunging into the never-ending trivial pursuit of happiness, we open ourselves to some sort of fuller, more textured experience of the world. 

In a way, this makes us truly content—not just with the highs, but also with the richness that comes from a human tapestry made up of all the emotions that make us who we are. 

We will attempt to make a story that reflects, in any small way, the richness of our lives and the fact that beauty is to be found not only in goodness but also in adversity. At this point, we have created the space for a culture of authenticity and emotional depth, facilitating a community that supports each other in all facets of the human experience. 

Sketch: TBS

Reshad Rahman Bhuiyan is an entrepreneur and a student currently studying in North South University, majoring in HRM and Marketing.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.