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Concept

Happiness

Not a momentary feeling but a baseline that shifts through sustained effort during the 90% of life that feels "normal."

Tensions

Hedonic treadmill suggests happiness returns to baseline regardless of events, yet relationships, hard challenges, and anticipation demonstrably move the baseline upward. The paradox: the best time to work on happiness is when you feel no urgency to.

Related Concepts

relationships | habits | energy | action | expectation | grief

Last updated: Apr 21, 2026