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psychology
You only notice how much you have when it disappears.
The adaptation-level phenomenon suggests that people experience significant hedonic adaptation, but individuals often only partially return to their prior happiness baseline after major life changes.
Many studies, including the cited 1978 research, show that those experiencing severe negative life changes often maintain a lower level of subjective well-being compared to control groups.
Your brain is designed to seek more, not to be satisfied with what it has.
Where this comes from
- Study
- Brickman et al., 1978, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
- What the check found
- While people experience significant hedonic adaptation, research shows that major negative life events often result in a lasting drop in happiness rather than a complete return to a neutral baseline.
- Confidence
- Solid, with limits
Related
One of these every day, and every one names the study it came from. When a finding is contested, it says so.