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Why Your Happiness Always Returns to Baseline (and How to Raise It) | 103
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In 1978, researchers compared two groups you’d never expect: lottery winners and accident victims who had become paraplegic. The results shocked the world.
Within a year, both groups had returned to nearly the same level of happiness as before.
This is the science of hedonic adaptation — our brain’s tendency to normalize no matter what happens. Winning millions. Losing everything. We always come back to baseline.
But here’s the hopeful part: your baseline isn’t fixed. You can raise it.
In this episode, I break down:
• The famous “lottery vs. paraplegic” study on baseline happiness.
• Why we imagine extremes in the future (arrival fallacy).
• Four science-backed ways to elevate your baseline happiness: gratitude, relationships, purposeful work, and meditation.
• How to frame the future realistically so you’re no longer disappointed by extremes.
🎧 Whether you’re chasing big goals or recovering from setbacks, this episode will show you how to live at a higher baseline.
👉 If you find value in this, please leave a review — it helps the show grow and reach more people who need this message.
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📺 Listen on your favorite platform:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-grateful-podcast-with-jack-wagoner/id1725776061
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5EsTEpQAjU4BxUrDoFyZ6b
Subscribe for more deep conversations with thinkers, seekers, and soulful creators. 🙏
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🧠 More from Jack:
Newsletter (Magic, Meaning & Momentum): https://magic.beehiiv.com/v1/aa6b0945-43aa-43c8-b320-0fde6998f852?email=%7B%7Bemail%7D%7D
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jack_wagoner_/
1:1 Coaching & Dream-Chasing Guidance: [email protected]
💬 If you found this conversation meaningful, send it to a friend and leave a review. It really helps more people find this kind of soul-nourishing content.
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🎙️ About Jack:
I’m an 18-year-old high school student with a big dream: to show the world that you can be grateful and ambitious at the same time. Through The Grateful Podcast, I explore what it means to live a meaningful life—one deep conversation at a time.
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