I find two major flaws with the article's claims. First, it does not account for those among us who have never previously owned a house and for whom, owning their own home is a dream onto itself. I would bet that for such people on average, buying a new house is a far more meaningful experience, than for those who are upgrading from an existing house that they like, to one that they think they will like better.
Second, the article does not allow for the "experience changing the individual" - i.e. for the possibility that hedonic adaptation can be negated. This could happen for any number of reasons, including, as an example, due to moving from a rough neighborhood to one that is safe and lively. In such a case, many people would be thankful for their good fortune and remind themselves of the same frequently.
I realize that given space and editorial constraints, it is impossible for any article to fully account for all the different variations on a theme. Even so, the reader has to guard himself or herself from the conclusions of a seemingly authoritative piece in a respected newspaper.
And for those who do own a house, Kierkegaard has the solution: rotate one's pleasures. Buy something else! ;-)
ReplyDeleteRotate indeed. But the pleasure need not come from buying along. "Experiencing" and "Understanding" ought to be on the menu too.
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