Resize to Fit:xkcd on connoisseurship.
The hover text tells the story: “Our brains have just one scale, and we resize our experience to fit.” The lesson must be to be careful what we choose to obsess about.
Rescaling this observation, the common larger principle is that everything seeks equilibrium. I’d believe that the brain also rescales to adjust to changes in emotional state. Explains why after a year, lotto winners are no happier than before they won. Any change in status will cause temporary joy or pain, but once the brain adapts to current circumstances, all the levels are reset and emotional equilibrium will set in.
What the principle doesn’t explain though is the rare case of a dramatic, sustaining mood elevation of someone who has had great luck in partner selection. Where usually you’d observe new romance cause a temporary mood bump that eventually fades, replaced with drama and reality, I have to admit that there are those special cases where the right choice and a bit of luck cause a sustained elevation in happiness. These people are Nature’s lottery winners. ♦
