The same can be said for really traumatic/negative experiences.

What really gets me is how people recover from these peak experiences to both sides, the positive and the negative.

The human body will always try to adapt to make things "easier" and less stressful. Our conscious mind may not want to. We may want to live these experiences forever. But our bodies cannot handle all positive experiences all the time, the same as it cannot handle all negative experiences all the time.

The higher the highs, the lower the lows get. I really am starting to think that the key to life is just plain simplicity. Simplicity causes balance, which causes our positive and negative experiences to have a rather small effect compared to really high emotions in both directions. These kinds of experiences can happen to anyone, it's how we deal with it emotionally to both aspects. Keep your emotions in check and you'll find that just about anything in life that comes your way has no effect on you as a human.

What was that extremely positive event? Did he marry you? haha Come on you make me curious ;-)

I certainly subscribe to contextual theory, which frames the question of Michael Phelps' future happiness.

Based on an assumption that he continues to compete as a swimmer, it is difficult to imagine his happiness stretching beyond his current level.

I suspect, however, that Mr. Phelps will move beyond swimming to achieve something beyond himself, which is when he may realize the meaning and purpose of his achievements.

I could be wrong but it seems Mr. Phelps does not view his enormous Olympic feat as an end but rather a means to something else. If I am right, then he will certainly be "happier" later in life than he is now...

"For success, like happiness, can not be pursued; and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one's dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself." ~ Viktor Frankl

I think expectations of happiness play a very important role. Of coarse a person thinks that a huge accomplishment such as winning a gold metal will be the ultimate high and so it becomes that, even if only temporarily. I had such high expectations for college as the "the best years of my life" that I really did have a great time and could easily block out any bad events with good ones. After I graduated, I hit this low and was cursed by my belief that nothing in life could ever top the freedom and growth of college. Finally, I realized that every stage of life has it's ups and downs and labeling one event or stage of life as "the time of your life", can take away from daily life and the formation of new aspirations. I am now 30 and very excited to hopefully have a family soon but I'm not going to get stuck in a rut of thinking having a family is my next big shot at happiness. Every day is a gift and there are always opportunities for peak pleasure based solely on how much you choose to value those moments. Tonight I am enjoying a glass of wine with my boyfreind on the patio and I plan on being blissfully happy:)

Maybe we are programmed by God to lead lives of dissatisfactions with whatever conditions around.We unendingly pursue the the state of happiness,upgrate it every time we archieve one.
Maybe that is just the buddhism try to preach:human lives are placed in this circle,you would not get the true and perpetual happiness unless to follow the pathes that they illuminate.

I was shocked at the shallow concept that winning 14 gold medals would be the "peak" of ones life. What about teaching your daughter to ride a bike, running behind her, holding the bike until just the right moment and then seeing her smile when she realizes she's done it!? What about a 50th wedding anniversary, celebrating the fact that you were lucky enough to share your life with another very special person. It is silly to ask whether Phelps can you surpass winning 14 medals. Of course he can! He'll just have to knockout another one next olympics!

JP

Hi Sonja,

I love your work. And I have a question for you. You write in your book that getting goals is one of the proven techniques to make yourself happy. And preferably meaningful goals.

A gold medal is nice and everything, but it won't result in world peace. Although I believe Michael thinks it is very meaningful to reach for a golden medal (and win it).

Did you do any research on the levels of meaningfulness in correlation with happiness?

BTW. The Meaning of Life is the theme a Positive Psychology symposium I am organizing this year. (Speakers Todd Kashdan, Ruut Veenhoven and Bjorn Grinde). So I am REALLY interested in your view on this matter.