Hedonism has a reputation as being something that requires grand and extravogent gestures that once you get the taste for it requires ever bigger highs to experience the same level of pleasure.

Research suggests however that small pleasures rather than big ones are the key to enduring happiness.  Participants in the study were massaged for 3 minutes.  One group however had their massage divided into two by a 20 second break in the middle, whilst the other had their massage in one go.

They found that people enjoyed the massage more when it was split into two.  The reasoning was that because of the break the participants could not get too used to the massage and therefore enjoyed it for longer.

And that is the key to happiness.  Once you get to used to something it ceases to be enjoyable, it becomes something we take for granted.  So that goes some way to explaining why small pleasures are so great.

People who are able to savour the small things in life are happier. People who are richer tend not to savour the small things so much, partly because they expect more from life. This means they don't gain all they can from being wealthy (I know, your heart bleeds!).

 

But we know better; so off you go now to a coffee shop, or cheap trip to the park, or to buy the worst seats in the house. It'll be more fun in the long run.