When many people have a little bit of disposable money the first thing that they do is head to the shops to deplete their wallets as quickly as possible. As a matter of fact, in some areas of the world, recreational shopping is a very common pastime. We tend to feel happier when we buy something but it isn’t long before that happiness wears off. Coming to grips with this problem is possible, if you listen to what science has to say.
One of the main problems that we have with happiness is the fact that we tend to adapt to situations that make us happy. When something is fresh and new, we tend to feel satisfied but as we grow accustomed to it, the satisfaction tends to leave rather quickly. This is a process that gets repeated over and over again in many of our lives.
If you experience this type of problem, you will be interested in a study that was carried out at Cornell University. According to psychology professor Thomas Gilovich, we experience a higher level of happiness when we buy something we want and we also experience the same increase in happiness when we travel. The important part to remember, however, is that our happiness from purchases tends to fall off over time but our memories of traveling tend to keep us happier and satisfied for longer.
In fact, there are a number of things we can do to increase our happiness. Those include taking part in unusual events, learning a new skill, going on vacation or taking part in some type of extreme sport. Our level of happiness for these types of events is going to last longer. When we buy something, such as a new car or an electronic gadget, it will eventually just blend into the background or worse, will quickly become outdated. As we accumulate memories, however, it is a real source of joy that sticks with us throughout our lives.
Via: Bright Side
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