Post 12. Hedonic Adaptation & Dr. Martin Seligman

Regression Toward the Mean?

I hope everyone had a wonderful Monday.

Today, I’ve been thinking about a concept we covered in Dr. Martin Seligman’s Science of Wellbeing course this past spring. Seligman is the founder of positive psychology, the movement that shifted psychology’s focus from treating mental illness to studying what makes humans flourish. What lay beyond getting a patient back to zero? Seligman hoped to find the answers.

One idea in the course that keeps coming back to me is hedonic adaptation. It refers to how we, as humans, tend to adapt to both good and bad experiences over time. Something great happens — a job offer, winning a prize, a big moment — and it boosts our mood. But after a while, that feeling fades, and we settle back into our baseline. The same is true for painful events. We think the lows will break us, but we adapt to those, too.

There’s a famous study from 1978 by Brickman, Coates, and Janoff-Bulman that compared lottery winners and accident victims. Six months after their respective events, both groups reported similar levels of everyday happiness. On a 0–5 scale, there wasn’t the kind of permanent gap you’d expect. The takeaway? We're more resilient — and more forgetful — than we give ourselves credit for.

It doesn’t mean we’re immune to change or that nothing matters. It means that emotional highs and lows are rarely permanent. The sharp edges dull. The shine wears off. We adjust. That can sound bleak, but I’ve come to see it as a reason to stay steady. Not indifferent, but steady. When something great happens, enjoy it fully. Just don’t expect it to carry you forever. When something rough happens, hold on. It won’t flatten you forever, either.

This has been sitting with me lately — maybe because life’s been bouncing between extremes. I’ve had a few wins that I am deeply appreciative of, but also tough days. If you’re in a similar boat, I hope you find peace in knowing you will adjust.

I wish everyone the best in all that your week brings.

Until tomorrow,
Jack

[Dr. Seligman and I after his final lecture before retiring - Spring 2024]