I listened to Akimbo, a podcast by Seth Godin, the other day that referenced the concept of a hedonic treadmill. The hedonic treadmill is the proclivity for humans to pursue something not because we receive incremental amounts of value from getting “more”, but because after each goal we achieve, our expectations for temporary happiness increase.
We can use our energy to either satisfy or maximize a desire. The problem arises when we start to compare our value with others and compete for status instead of building true wealth. (Note: wealth comes in many forms)
Nothing will ever be enough if we play a status game.