For our purposes, the hedonic treadmill describes a process of being addicted to new experiences and the acquisition of new things. And, like all addictions, each new “high” comes with a big jolt of happy brain chemicals that quickly die off, creating the need for the next “fix.” And each time, the high is a little less high, making the pleasure-seeker run faster on the pleasure treadmill, compulsively looking for bigger and better highs.
