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It's just from feeling more right? When I was 9 the best pizza I'd ever had came from a Walmart food court. Now that I'm closer to 30 I'm had a lot more pizza t

It's just from feeling more right? When I was 9 the best pizza I'd ever had came from a Walmart food court. Now that I'm closer to 30 I'm had a lot more pizza that was far better and far worse than that pizza. If I were to eat that same pizza again it probably wouldnt taste better than any pizza I've ever had. My experience is informed by past experience. Just like my emotional reaction is informed by past emotional experiences.

ARandomerDude 5y ago
I think you're onto something here in certain ways, but the expanding relative emotional scale idea doesn't explain why the young tend to be the thrill-seekers and the old tend to enjoy more of the "simple pleasures" of life. If the Wal-Mart pizza were the main factor, it seems to me we'd expect to see the reverse: the young would be more content with the simple, but as they got bored over time, they'd seek greater and greater thrills as they aged. That said, I do think you're right when it comes to a sense of sadness. A middle-schooler is devastated when another student says his shoes are out of style. Someone in their 50s is generally devastated by more substantive things like the death of a child.
- Taylor_OD 5y ago
  Oh interesting. I think the same is true for thrill seeking but there is an added element which is perspective. When I was young I feared little and did stupid things, sometimes to disastrous results. Now I know I could do those stupid things if I'd like but I'm also more aware of the potential results. Young people know some of the things they are doing are stupid but until you feel it yourself its hard to really know it right? There is also an element of realizing that certain highs are not actually satisfying in the long term. When I was younger I thought X would make me happy. Now I realize that X is very unlikely to actually improve my overall happiness. Some people never realize this or they stumble into taking drugs which is in some ways does cause them to seek greater thrills/highs but they typically don't make it very long in that lifestyle.

ARandomerDude 5y ago

I think you're onto something here in certain ways, but the expanding relative emotional scale idea doesn't explain why the young tend to be the thrill-seekers and the old tend to enjoy more of the "simple pleasures" of life. If the Wal-Mart pizza were the main factor, it seems to me we'd expect to see the reverse: the young would be more content with the simple, but as they got bored over time, they'd seek greater and greater thrills as they aged. That said, I do think you're right when it comes to a sense of sadness. A middle-schooler is devastated when another student says his shoes are out of style. Someone in their 50s is generally devastated by more substantive things like the death of a child.

Taylor_OD 5y ago
Oh interesting. I think the same is true for thrill seeking but there is an added element which is perspective. When I was young I feared little and did stupid things, sometimes to disastrous results. Now I know I could do those stupid things if I'd like but I'm also more aware of the potential results. Young people know some of the things they are doing are stupid but until you feel it yourself its hard to really know it right? There is also an element of realizing that certain highs are not actually satisfying in the long term. When I was younger I thought X would make me happy. Now I realize that X is very unlikely to actually improve my overall happiness. Some people never realize this or they stumble into taking drugs which is in some ways does cause them to seek greater thrills/highs but they typically don't make it very long in that lifestyle.