Thrill of the Chase

From an article by M.P. Dunleavey in The New York Times and reprinted in the International Herald Tribune:

One of the great puzzles of human nature is why we keep striving for more material things - money, jobs, homes, cars, flat-screen televisions - when they do not seem to make us any happier in the long run. Philosophers have pondered this conundrum for centuries, and modern economists have been examining it from a number of angles, over several decades, in a multitude of cultures. Not only does greater wealth not guarantee happiness - even when you get what you want - research indicates that you will not find it as satisfying as you had hoped, and you will want something else. Richard Easterlin, professor of economics at the University of Southern California, is one of the seminal researchers in this area. In effect, his work shows that if you think that buying a three-bedroom condominium and a certain kind of car will make you happy, you had better think twice. In a few years, a) you're not likely to report being any happier, and b) you're likely to say that, now, finding a good private school for your children and buying a vacation home will really make you happy. In Easterlin's view, this cycle of desire and dissatisfaction tends to keep people on an endless treadmill. This may sound self-defeating, but that is Easterlin's point. Why not get off the treadmill and pursue a life with fewer material ambitions? You would probably be happier. Or would you? If our material achievements tend to leave us only momentarily fulfilled, why then do so many people keep reaching for that next goal? Claudia Senik, professor of economics at the Sorbonne, believes that the struggle for a certain achievement may offer a peculiar reward all its own. "For the basic person there is pleasure in progress," Senik said. "We are proud to aim at something - to earn a degree, buy a house. So when I work to reach a higher position or earn a higher income, I'm already happy today." It may seem that we are all hapless consumers, at the mercy of our own greed and needs - or cursed by the gods. But Senik offers a more positive interpretation. You can let go of the rather iffy rewards of getting and spending, and look for everyday pleasure while you are struggling to advance, improve, progress, achieve and attain. As Easterlin pointed out, "If you recognize that the striving can be of value in itself, then instead of taking a job that pays you the most, you may be better off taking work you'll enjoy."