Hedonic Treadmill: Why Happiness or Sadness Doesn’t Last

Shariq Ali
Valueversity

In psychology, the hedonic treadmill is a simple yet profound concept. It means that whether something very good or very bad happens to a person, after some time the person returns to their usual mental state.

For example,
when you get a new and desired job, happiness reaches its peak.
After a few months, that same job becomes routine.
A new mobile phone or a new car brings great happiness at first,
but gradually that happiness turns into habit.

It is exactly like running on a treadmill. You are moving a lot, but emotionally you remain in the same place.

The reason is that getting used to things quickly is part of human nature.
The brain soon labels comfort, luxury, and success as “normal,”
and once something becomes normal, it no longer brings much happiness.
So what is the real lesson?

Simply chasing more things does not make us permanently happy.

Lasting happiness mostly comes from things that cannot be seen, such as:
gratitude,
meaningful relationships,
a clear purpose in life,
and being useful to others.
If we understand that happiness is not outside us but in our attitude,
perhaps we can step off the treadmill and truly move forward.