Hedonic adaptation means that after a while, we tend to go back to a baseline level of emotional satisfaction. The good and bad events don't move us up or down for as long as we think. People mistakenly think happiness is a place that if they could get to it, they could build a house and live there their entire lives. Happily ever after is only true if you have three minutes to live.
Recovering from a car crash that smashed her face, listener Rebecca Kaduru stumbled across an episode of The Happiness Lab in which we interviewed wounded Iraq veteran JR Martinez. His story brought Rebecca great solace in her own painful journey to recovery.
Following our recent show talking to Rebecca, we wanted to give you a chance to hear the episode which so touched her - The Unhappy Millionaire - in which we examine the "psychological immune system" that help humans overcome even the toughest experiences.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.