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How to Break Free of Pleasure-Seeking with One Simple Mantra
Stepping off the Hedonic Treadmill can be as simple as reminding yourself that life isn’t all about pleasure.
Every night, around sundown, when all my work for the day is done, this monster creeps into my room. The room starts to darken with impending doom, just like in the movies. It’s not a physical monster with teeth and claws. It’s a psychological monster.
But that doesn’t make it any less real.
When it arrives, it explodes into my subconscious. First, it takes the shape of feeling bored. Then, it turns into feeling unfulfilled, unsatisfied, and empty. And then it tells me what to do about that fact.
It used to tell me to drink. But when I got hip to that game, it switched to sugar. And when I got hip to that it started peddling social media.
Its shtick is always the same:
I just need something right now. Something is missing. And there’s something outside of me, that if I just get it inside of me, I won’t feel this way anymore.
I’ll feel complete. Comfortable. Satisfied…
