In my work researching the science of fun, I have coined a new term: variable hedonics. In short, variable hedonics is a construct to encompass the corpus of science that indicates that variability is one of the primary levers we can play with to live happier lives. To explain what variable hedonics is, let’s start with a fundamental concept in positive psychology called the set-point theory of happiness (sometimes referred to as the hedonic treadmill or hedonic adaption). Set-point theory is the tendency we have as humans to enjoy experiences less when these experiences become routine, habitual, or unfluctuating.
Since we are so good at adapting quickly to change, gains we make regarding happiness are usually short-lived. This is why psychologists sometimes call set-point theory hedonic adaptation or the hedonic treadmill—because there appears to be in each of us a so-called inborn degree of happiness, a set-point around which we fluctuate but generally return. We have difficulty pushing our boundary of happiness radically up (or down, for that matter). Whatever we experience, we shortly return to our familiar happiness state because hedonic adaptation usually kicks in sooner or later.
There is some good news, however. Although a significant degree of our happiness may indeed be pre-determined, there is purportedly a significant proportion we can directly influence. (Although outside the scope of this post, if you are curious about the science grounding this assertion I’ve linked a video from Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky—a leading expert on this topic—discussing the subject at the bottom of this post.)
Why variable hedonics?
If we know from research that unfluctuating experience can make life less pleasurable, what can be done? At this point, it should come as no surprise that adding some variability to your life can be a helpful strategy. This is because variability disrupts hedonic adaptation, the brain’s tendency to “set” our enjoyment level. Most of us do likely have a happiness set-point, but variable hedonics can thwart our hedonic adaptation, disrupting this tendency that brings us back to our happiness set-point. We were not designed to feel good doing the same thing all the time because (before modern advances) pleasure was meant to provide a biological incentive for us to engage in a variety of positive behaviors (procreation to keep our species alive, eating calorie-dense foods in case of famine, etc.). As such, by design, when we change things up it often can be a lot of fun.
Let’s explore how.
The how of variable hedonics
Think back to a time you got a promotion or similar personal accolade; you likely felt pleased that your hard work had paid off. You enjoyed the new status and any associated perks. You felt proud of yourself, and you might have even celebrated the win in some memorable way. However, over time you adapt to the new “normal” and any psychological benefit faded away. Worse, you might now compare yourself to your new peer group, as well as their achievements, and actually find yourself less happy.
Most of us are prone to comparing; you know, “the grass is always greener on the other side.” Stanford professor Francis Fukuyama, the author of The End of History, argues that humans desire some things “not for themselves but because they are desired by other human beings.” We’re always trying to keep up with the Joneses. But, the Joneses change (upgrade) as our status changes, so the race is never really over. This predisposition of the human condition to compare makes it difficult for us to be sustainably happy. Simply being mindful of this comparison trap is the first step of benefiting from variable hedonics. Now let’s take a look at some of the subconstructs.
Activity variability
Dr. Jordan Etkin and Cassie Mogilner Holmes studied the effects of filling different periods of our time with a variety of different activities and how variety affects our happiness. In their paper, Does variety among activities increase happiness? the two wanted to know whether spending time on a greater variety of activities makes us happier. What they found is that over longer time periods, like a day, a week, or a month, spending more variety does make us happier. However, if we try to jam too much stuff into short periods of time, we become less happy.
As Dr. Etkin put it, “So, for example, if I look back on a Saturday that’s filled with a lot of different types of activities, maybe I went to brunch with friends. Maybe I went for a walk with my spouse; maybe I played with my dog. That variety makes me feel happy. But when we jam variety into smaller chunks of time, so 30 minutes or an hour, that variety actually makes us unhappy.”
Over longer time periods, variety appears to make us happier because it’s stimulating and exciting. In this sense, variable hedonics works in our favor as protection against boredom. However, as Dr. Etkin puts it, “Over shorter time periods, that same switching, that same extra stimulation undermines our feelings of productivity. And so we don’t feel like we’ve really gotten anything done in that time, those shorter periods of time. And that makes us feel less happy as a result.” As such, as long as we don’t overclock our schedules, adding variety to our day is a useful strategy to feel happier. (If you would like to learn more about activity variability, at the bottom of this post I have linked a video where Dr. Etkin discusses the phenomena.)
Economic variability
In line with the anecdote above I shared about getting a promotion, several recent studies show that our well-being is influenced not only by our social status (absolute levels of income and position) but also by how this compares to a reference group (relative levels of income and position). This phenomenon is known as “positionality.” (In defense of humanity, according to an Israeli study, we are happier when we have slightly more than others; having much more than others doesn’t seem to have the same effect on our well-being. For the most part, extreme societal gaps are not widely desired, even by those with a high income). The key to unlocking the economic variability trap is to be deliberate in your desires, and—once you know what you truly desire—psychologically lock it in. Done right, positionality then becomes less a hazard of variable hedonics (because you avoid moving the goal post every time you level up). Setting your intentions (a form of deliberate mindfulness) then supports your subjective well-being because you can relish the fact that you are living in alignment with what you truly desire.
Geography variability
It’s becoming more and more accepted that happiness is not so much about your income; it’s more about where you make it, how you perceive it, and what you want in life. Depending on your preferences, some geographical locations make you happier as they give you freedom, safety, and belonging. Given the new post-pandemic culture of “work from anywhere,” there are posts-a-plenty about the merits and pitfalls of a digital nomadic lifestyle (so we will not address that here).
That said, variable hedonics through changing location isn’t reserved for untethered remote workers. So we need to ask, can simply relocating make you happier? Science says: yes. The 2018 World Happiness Report, compiled by a team from the Erasmus University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and the Gallup World Poll, surveyed 36,000 first-generation migrants from 156 countries. On average, people become 9% happier after migrating to a new country (important to note, positive effects were somewhat smaller for people who move between similarly developed countries or territories).
Another interesting finding of that study was that most gains in happiness happened during the first five years following the move. Could it be that after five years, hedonic adaptation kicks in? Or, is it rather that after living in a new place for a longer period, the novelty runs its course, and we lose the benefit of variable hedonics? Or could it be that five years is about the length of time we start to miss our family and friends? For example, a study of returning Irish immigrants showed that they were drawn back to Ireland in a quest for a return to the familiar.
Varying your geography doesn’t have to be as drastic as moving to another country either. There are likely parts of your own country where the change would make you happier. Moving can increase your quality of life and, in turn, improve your lifestyle. This is known as “lifestyle immigration.” Dr. Michaela Benson from the University of York in the UK points out that lifestyle immigration is also known under many other terms, for instance, international retirement migration (IRM), amenity-seeking migration, residential tourism, and (international) counter-urbanization. Benson and Reilley define lifestyle migration as “spatial mobility of relatively affluent individuals of all ages, moving either part-time or full–time, to places that are meaningful because, for various reasons, they offer the potential for a better quality of life.” However, let’s be clear that moving by itself does not guarantee a positive outcome. If you decide you’re going to apply some geographic variable hedonics to make yourself (and your family) happier, you need to make sure the process is well-thought-out, sustainable, and fun.
Material variability
Another form of variable hedonics is positional goods. Fred Hirsch, a professor of international studies who wrote the book Social Limits to Growth, distinguished between material goods and positional goods. Hirsch argues that positional goods are linked to social scarcity. For example, if there is a limited number of great concert seats at a venue, acquiring one will have more of an effect on our relative personal standing. However, it creates a loss for all others looking to get a good seat (because there is one less great seat to be had). This constitutes a conflict—because having fun through this form of variable hedonic means that in some way, others suffer. The concert seat is awesome due in part because of its exclusivity. If everyone could get those seats, it might not be as fun. The concert is just one example. Another example might be your favorite secret vacation getaway that becomes less fun as its popularity increases, making it less interesting to you as it becomes overrun with others (because it’s no longer just your little secret).
TL;DR
Playing with variable hedonics is a great way to limit the drawbacks of hedonic adaption. There are many ways to benefit from variable hedonics; I have covered only a partial list in this post. If you have any additional thoughts or ideas, as well as any questions or concerns about this topic, please drop them in the comments.
Sources and Further Reading (and Viewing):
Benson, M. (2012). How culturally significant imaginings are translated into lifestyle migration. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 38(10), 1681-1696.
Brickman, P., & Campbell, D. T. (1971). Hedonic relativism and planning the good society. In M. H. Appley (Ed.), Adaptation-level theory (pp. 287– 302). New York: Academic Press.
Corcoran, M. P. (2002). The process of migration and the reinvention of self: the experiences of returning Irish emigrants. Eire-Ireland, 37(1), 175-191.
Etkin, J., & Mogilner, C. (2016). Does variety among activities increase happiness?. Journal of Consumer Research, 43(2), 210-229.
Gundersen, A. (2017). Starting over: Searching for the good life—an ethnographic study of western lifestyle migration to Ubud, Bali. New Zealand Sociology.
Hadad, S., & Malul, M. (2017). Do you prefer having much more or slightly more than others?. Social Indicators Research, 133(1), 227-234.
Hendriks, M., Burger, M., Ray, J., & Esipova, N. (2018). Do international migrants increase their happiness and that of their families by migrating?. World happiness report, 44-65.
Hirsch, F. (2013). Social limits to growth. Harvard University Press.
Lyubomirsky, S. (2008). The how of happiness: A scientific approach to getting the life you want. Penguin.
O’Reilly, K., & Benson, M. (2016). Lifestyle migration: escaping to the good life?. In Lifestyle Migration (pp. 11-24). Routledge.
Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky on the how of happiness
