Hedonic Adaptation
In my last episode, I spoke about my cycling trip to Taiwan. While there, I had a lot of time alone to think to myself with no distractions. In this episode today, I’m going to share some of the things I was thinking about.
One of these was the idea of Hedonic Adaptation (also known as the Hedonic Treadmill). This is something that we all face as humans and might just be the key to understanding how to be happy and content.
It’s a really useful topic when it comes to being happy with what you have and not always feeling bad about what you don’t – such as feeling bad for not being good enough at English.
Let’s find out more.
To Wear Off
I mentioned this useful phrasal verb a few times in today’s episode. Let’s talk about it in different contexts.
Meaning: To gradually disappear or become less effective over time.
It’s often used to talk about medicine and medication
“The painkillers started to wear off after a few hours, and he began to feel the ache again.”
“If the drowsiness wears off, let your doctor know; you may need a stronger dose.”
We can also use it to talk about emotions and excitement.
“The excitement of moving to a new city wore off after a few months.”
“At first, he was thrilled about his new job, but the novelty soon wore off.”
And similarly, exercise and energy.
“Her energy wore off quickly after the intense workout.”
“Once the adrenaline wore off, he felt exhausted from the race.”
What has worn off in your life? Leave your ideas in the comments.
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