Making Sense with Sam Harris · April 29, 2024 · 75m

#359 — Getting Used to It

Cass Sunstein on habituation — the psychological mechanism of getting used to things. We habituate to both good and bad. This explains the hedonic treadmill but also political normalization: outrageous things become normal through repetition.

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Canon

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The hedonic treadmill is driven by habituation — a specific cognitive mechanism

Sunstein: habituation is the mechanism underlying the hedonic treadmill. The brain literally stops registering constant stimuli. This isn't philosophical — it's neurological. You can't override it with willpower.

Claude ChatGPT Gemini

Highlights

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Political normalization — habituation as a threat to democracy

Sunstein: the same mechanism that makes you stop noticing your surroundings makes you stop noticing democratic erosion. Outrageous political behavior becomes normal through sheer repetition.

Claude ChatGPT Gemini

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