Are You Running on the Hedonic Treadmill?

Not many of us are familiar with the Hedonic Paradox, also known as the Pleasure Paradox. Most of us grow up ‘chasing’ happpiness which we mistakenly believe is pleasure. We think that if we acquire more — more achievements, more money, more experiences and gratify our senses more, we will eventually be happpy. But life teaches us otherwise. The Hedonic Paradox reveals that the more we chase happpiness, the further it seems to move away from us. And that is why we remain unhappy.

When we constantly seek sense gratification, we unknowingly place ourselves on what is called the Hedonic Treadmill. On this treadmill, we keep running and running hoping to reach destination happpiness. But no matter how fast or how far we run, we remain where we started. Happpiness remains elusive.

The point is that pleasure gives only fleeting joy. The joy is ephemeral. Soon the excitement fades, the joy wanes and the mind begins to desire something new. Thus, happpiness becomes temporary and conditional.

Consider something as simple as buying a new phone. Initially there is excitement, pride and joy. But how long does this happpiness last? Very soon the phone loses its charm. A newer model appears with upgrades and cutting-edge technology, and the mind begins to desire it. The Hedonic Paradox reminds us that material acquisitions and sensory pleasures can never offer lasting happpiness. They give momentary pleasure but not enduring peace.

The word “hedonic” comes from the Greek word hedone, meaning pleasure. Pleasure itself is not wrong. But when we mistake pleasure for true happpiness, we are bound to be disappointed. Often, our need becomes our greed. We cannot step back from the race for money and success which only gives us pleasure. Pleasure may stimulate the body and mind, but it does not give us a sense of fulfillment. True happpiness is not found in indulgence but in peace which comes from contentment, gratitude, and most importantly, purpose. Pleasure, Peace and Purpose are the three Ps, the three Keys of happpiness. That’s why I spell happy as happpy.

Have you ever tried to run after your shadow? The more you chase it, the further it goes away. But the moment you stop running, the shadow quietly stays with you. Happpiness is similar. The more desperately we pursue it, the more restless we become. But when we stop chasing happpiness and instead focus on living consciously, peacefully and purposefully, happpiness naturally follows. Happpiness is not a chase but a choice. It is a state of being peaceful and blissful, cheerful and playful, grateful and positive. We cannot become happpy. We have to be happpy. And we can only be happpy in the now, not in the past or the future.

There are many ways we can trigger happpiness. We can smile more. We can do the things we love. Controlling the mind and flipping from mind to consciousness, a state of no thoughts, paves the way for peace, the foundation of happpiness. One powerful way is to shift our focus from “How can I be happpy?” to “How can I make others happpy?” When we live with compassion, kindness and service, joy flows effortlessly. Giving, loving and making a difference in the lives of others create a deep sense of fulfillment that no pleasure can provide.

Happpiness is not a destination to be chased. It is a state of being to be lived. When we understand this truth, we step off the Hedonic Treadmill and discover a joy that is lasting and real. If we go beyond pleasure and peace, and discover the purpose of life, who we are and why we are here, we can live with everlasting bliss. The truth is we are not what we appear to be, the body and the mind. We are the immortal Soul — a Spark Of Unique Life. In fact, we are not human beings at all. We are spiritual beings; a part of the Supreme Immortal Power we call God. This realization holds the key to a life of seamless Divine bliss, the state of Satchitananda, a state where we live in awareness of our true self, our true identity. This state of ecstasy is indescribable and unknown to the common person.
Authored by: AiR - Atman in Ravi