I think the important missing piece here is that different drivers of happiness have different degrees of hedonic adjustment. Intuitively, I would expect simpler, evolutionarily older needs (approximately those lower on Maslow’s Pyramid to adjust less.
This would imply that things like adequate food and sleep (I would guess that many of us are lacking in the later), moderate temperatures, lack of sickness and injury, etc. should be maintained consistently, while things like mechanical squids should be more varied.
I’m not sure I understand what a “degree of hedonic adjustment” is, here. Also, I’m not sure how we got from talking about ideal worlds and awesomeness, to talking about happiness.
So, OK.… being a little more concrete: “food” is very low on Maslow’s Pyramid, and “acceptance of facts” is very high. If I’ve understood you right, then in order to maximize happiness I should arrange my life so as to maintain a relatively consistent supply of food, but a highly variable supply of acceptance of facts.
I think the important missing piece here is that different drivers of happiness have different degrees of hedonic adjustment. Intuitively, I would expect simpler, evolutionarily older needs (approximately those lower on Maslow’s Pyramid to adjust less.
This would imply that things like adequate food and sleep (I would guess that many of us are lacking in the later), moderate temperatures, lack of sickness and injury, etc. should be maintained consistently, while things like mechanical squids should be more varied.
I’m not sure I understand what a “degree of hedonic adjustment” is, here. Also, I’m not sure how we got from talking about ideal worlds and awesomeness, to talking about happiness.
So, OK.… being a little more concrete: “food” is very low on Maslow’s Pyramid, and “acceptance of facts” is very high. If I’ve understood you right, then in order to maximize happiness I should arrange my life so as to maintain a relatively consistent supply of food, but a highly variable supply of acceptance of facts.
Yes? No?