Underindulgence and Happiness

Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton report on fascinating research that suggests temporary abstinence increases pleasure--and that sharing treats increases happiness even more.  We might think that if we like something and have the means and access to consume it, the more we consume, the happier we would be.  In fact, not overindulging, or even indulging, increases our appreciation for the object.  Dunn and Norton call this underindulgence.  This links to the argument in my new book manuscript, described in a previous post, that regulating our choices can, counter-intuitively, increase our wellbeing.