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| Under Indulge once in a while |
Last month the
NY Times had an article about the art ofunder-indulgence. It is about the science that shows that under indulging, that
is indulging a little less than you might normally is a key to happiness.
I like this article because a) it is counter intuitive, b)
it is based on what seems like actual science and c) because it is consistent
with my own proclivities and yes, I consider myself a happy person.
Basically, science tells us that it is the initial response
to something new that creates the best return on our happy synapses. After we
indulge, the high we get from indulging becomes lessened. In other words,
imagine you just sat down to an incredible meal. It is the first bite of a
tremendously tasty meal that is tasty. The more you eat, the less aware you are
of how incredible your meal tastes. In other words, the more you eat, the more
you dull your taste buds. So, to get the most bang for your indulgent buck, you
need to indulge less because the very act of indulging diminishes your returns.
So, if you have become convinced that to be happy you just
need more, whether it is more money, food, candy, sex, or whatever it is you
indulge in, you should realize that the science really does show, more isn’t
necessarily better. Which is probably why people with severe indulgence
problems (aka addictions) aren’t very happy.
The only exception to this rule is when you indulge in helping others. The more
you give to others, the happier you are.
And yes, there is apparently science to back that up as well. So, to
recap, indulging is good, but only to a point. After that, share what you got.
In other words Franklin was right. In all things moderation.
