In NLP the brain is often referred to as a difference detector. It is easy for us to become very quickly accustomed to our environment, leaving us sensitive only to news of difference.
I recently bought shares in Xero with some friends. We bought in at $0.90 and shares rapidly went up to $1.30. We felt that $1.50 would be a landmark price for us, and we were excited about getting there. Over several weeks the price crept up slowly, suddenly it jumped to $1.47 and our excitement was palpable. A few days later the price hit $1.52. One of my friends was so excited he rang me at work and yelled at me down the phone.
The Drop
The price sat at $1.50 for a week or so and we settled in to a glow of contentment. I was surprised at how rapidly this turned into apathy. The next goal of $1.60 soon became apparent. Then disaster struck. Shares dropped to $1.47. How could this happen? I was forlorn and waited desperately for the price to go up again.
The Realisation
What went wrong? A few weeks ago $1.47 held all the promise of the world for me. And now two weeks later, it was the total opposite. It had become an empty thing. Forlorn and grasping at its former glory.
This phenomenon gave me pause to think about other areas of my life where the $1.47 effect was in action.
I used to live in an awesome flat. It was a dream flat. It was huge and different and exciting. After six months or so all I noticed was the peeling paint and the boiler that didn’t work.
No matter how good a situation is or how bright a goal is: Once you get there, the location gets boring. You grow accustomed to it and your brain yearns for news of difference. Not only that but the steps along the way that were once great leaps, lose their appeal. We cannot go back.
“Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.” - Anais Nin
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.” - Helen Keller
The $1.47 effect illustrates to me that it’s not what we have in life, but who we are that’s important. And that to focus on the journey is where the real pleasure lies. Henry Ford once said, you can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.
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