Dopamine Drives to Deeper Joy: Unravelling Consumerism’s Hidden Cycles—Hedonic to Eudaimonic contentment
⦁ Dr. Sanjeev S. Padashetty
One quiet afternoon, while casually browsing through the notes on my iPad, I stumbled upon a rough, half-forgotten graph I had once scribbled. At first, it seemed like just another fragment of thought, one of those visual doodles we all make in passing. But something about it pulled me in. As I zoomed in and traced its meaning, a memory surfaced—an idea I had briefly entertained long before a lecture session on consumer dissonance and consumer endowment patterns of consumer behaviour.
That little scribble became the seed for something much deeper.
Back then, I had been musing over the Hedonic Treadmill Theory—a psychological concept that reveals a rather unsettling truth about human happiness. In the context of consumerism, the theory suggests that although acquiring new possessions or experiences might initially spark joy, over time, individuals tend to return to a baseline level of happiness. The thrill fades. The novelty wears off. And so begins a loop—a cycle of seeking, acquiring, adapting, and seeking again. It’s a treadmill with no off switch, a chase with no finish line, and absolute perpetuity.
As I was developing this idea in preparation for my MBA Semester-I orientation session, I recalled how deeply the learners had connected with the theme of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—particularly SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. It struck a chord with me. What if I could stop? What if I could step off the treadmill of mindless materialism and move toward something more meaningful & sustainable?
That moment sparked a new inquiry—one rooted not in fleeting pleasure but in eudaimonic consumption: the idea of buying, owning, and consuming in ways that align with one’s values, purpose, and well-being.
That scribbled graph was more than just a moment of idle thought—it was a reflection of this shift. A transition from hedonic to eudaimonic. From mindless consumption to mindful, sustainable living.
And so, it became imperative to transform these fragmented reflections into a coherent narrative—an article that connects consumer endowment, the hedonic treadmill, and sustainable behaviour in a world driven by mindless consumption. This write-up is not just a conceptual exploration; it is an invitation—to pause, reflect, and perhaps, redefine the way we consume.
The Dopamine-Cortisol Cycle: Escaping the Trap of Hedonic Pursuits for True Happiness (Dopamine is a pleasure or feel-good neurotransmitter hormone & cortisol is a stress neurotransmitter hormone)
Modern life constantly tempts us with immediate pleasures—dopamine-triggering activities like mindless shopping, overindulgence in food and substances, and endless scrolling through entertainment. This dynamic is vividly illustrated in the attached scribble: a chart mapping our emotional journey from the highs of ecstasy (hedonic happiness) to the lows of depression, dictated by waves of dopamine and cortisol.
In the Graph
The lower end of the graph—marked as “Depression”—represents the result of repeated dopamine relapses and increased cortisol. This “trough” can correspond, in real life, with symptoms of depression: sadness, withdrawal, and general dissatisfaction until a new cycle of dopamine chase begins; depression as a possible outcome of the dopamine-cortisol cycle.
Sustainable happiness, meanwhile, is depicted as a stable line—life contentment supported by healthy habits and meaningful living.
Understanding the Dopamine Loop:
As the graph shows, engaging in activities that overstimulate our pleasure centers—shopping sprees, binge eating, substance use, or consuming endless entertainment—leads to an initial spike in dopamine. This spike gives a temporary feeling of ecstasy or “hedonic” happiness. The culture of overconsumption feeds off this cycle, constantly pushing us to chase after fleeting highs.
The Downside: Dopamine Relapse and Cortisol Spike:
However, over time, this overconsumption and continuous pleasure-seeking overstimulate the dopamine pathways. The result is a “dopamine relapse”—a sharp drop from ecstasy back toward a baseline or worse, an emotional low. The chart illustrates that after this peak, the brain may trigger cortisol (the stress hormone), pushing us into feelings of stress, dissatisfaction, and even depression.
The Way Out: Eudaimonic Happiness:
The scribble graph above points toward a solution. Happiness and lifelong fulfillment—a stable, “eudaimonic” contentment that lies on a different path. Rather than chasing spikes, this path is characterized by:
⦁ Life contentment and fulfillment through healthy lifestyle choices
⦁ Mindfulness practices like meditation and journaling
⦁ Self-awareness and meaningful social connections
⦁ Pursuing hobbies, purposeful activities, and good socializations
This eudaimonic line runs steady and true through the graph, never spiking or plunging, offering a sustainable alternative to the volatility of pleasure-chasing.
Breaking the Cycle: To escape the hedonic treadmill:
⦁ Recognize the trap: Understand how modern culture promotes overconsumption and quick dopamine fixes.
⦁ Choose sustainable habits: Prioritize routines that bring long-term satisfaction over short-term pleasure.
⦁ Cultivate mindfulness: Engage in practices that enhance self-awareness and reduce the urge for mindless consumption.
⦁ Build meaningful connections: Happiness is reinforced through authentic relationships and not just by solitary pleasure pursuits.
| Aspect | (A) The Hedonic Loop | (B) Eudaimonic Contentment |
|---|---|---|
| Core Nature | Pleasure-seeking, dopamine-driven | Purpose-driven, values-aligned |
| Shopping Style | Mindless shopping, impulse buying | Intentional, sustainable shopping |
| Consumption Pattern | Overconsumption of food, products, entertainment, reels, etc. | Minimal, meaningful consumption |
| Emotional Cycle | Short-term highs followed by adaptation and craving for more | Long-term fulfillment and balance |
| Lifestyle Outcome | Overindulgence, overstimulation | Healthy lifestyle, balance |
| Brain Response | Constantly triggers the reward center (dopamine loop) | Engages prefrontal cortex—linked to meaning, reflection, satisfaction |
| Cultural Manifestation | Culture of excess, FOMO, comparison-driven | Culture of mindfulness, sufficiency, JOMO (Joy of Missing Out) |
| Inner Experience | Emptiness after excitement fades | Contentment, clarity, and inner peace |
| Associated Activities | Binge-watching, excessive social media, compulsive shopping | Meditation, introspection, creative hobbies, meaningful socialization |
| Impact on Well-being | Stress, burnout, mental fatigue | Self-awareness, emotional resilience, life satisfaction |
| Alignment with SDG 12 | Misaligned – promotes unsustainable consumption | Aligned – encourages responsible consumption and lifestyle choices |
Conclusion
The deeper we look into the scribbled graph, the message is clear: while hedonic pursuits offer instant but short-lived ecstasy, they often lead to emotional relapse, stress, and a compulsive loop driven by dopamine highs and cortisol crashes. In contrast, true and lasting happiness lies in life choices rooted in mindfulness, purpose, and balance. This contrast compels us to question: how deeply is our consumption behaviour shaped by neurochemical cycles, and can we rewire these patterns toward sustainable satisfaction? It also challenges marketers and brands to explore if eudaimonic values can replace hedonic triggers in customer engagement strategies and whether consumption aligned with well-being can become a competitive advantage. Additionally, the rising influence of digital platforms raises critical concerns: are algorithmic designs and social media feeds perpetuating the hedonic treadmill? At the systemic level, this shift demands attention from educators, researchers, and policymakers on how consumer mindfulness might be embedded in orientation programs and what policy nudges can steer individuals toward sustainable lifestyles.
This reflection isn’t merely a personal insight—it is a call to reimagine consumer culture, a push to research what sustains us, not just what stimulates us.
References:
⦁ Brickman, P., & Campbell, D. T. (1971). Hedonic relativism and planning the good society.
⦁ Hu, E., & Nguyen, A. (2022, March 31). Too much pleasure can lead to addiction. How to break the cycle and find balance. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2022/03/31/1090009509/addiction-how-to-break-the-cycle-and-find-balance
⦁ Kahneman, D., Knetsch, J. L., & Thaler, R. H. (1990). Experimental tests of the endowment effect and the Coase theorem.
⦁ Kringelbach ML, Berridge KC. The Neuroscience of Happiness and Pleasure. Soc Res (New York). 2010 Summer;77(2):659-678. PMID: 22068342; PMCID: PMC3008658.
⦁ Sharot T, Shiner T, Brown AC, Fan J, Dolan RJ. Dopamine enhances expectation of pleasure in humans. Curr Biol. 2009 Dec 29;19(24):2077-80. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2009.10.025. Epub 2009 Nov 12. PMID: 19913423; PMCID: PMC2801060.
⦁ United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Goal 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production.
