The Social Self  How self-knowledge influences interactions and
perceptions  Denying the Self Increases Happiness  New research
shows that denying the self of a pleasure promotes happiness.
Despite living in a time of great abundance for many, having
more does not always lead to greater happiness and well-being.
For example, the experience of positivity tapers off once family
incomes exceed $75,000 (Kahneman & Deaton, 2010). As people grow
accustomed to material goods (e.g., fine dining, new
smartphones), they often experience hedonic adaptation—that is,
they get used to the finer things and are less inclined to savor
daily pleasures.  How can people avoid the trap of hedonic
adaptation? Interestingly, scarcity can lead people to focus on
enjoying an experience more deeply (i.e., savoring), which
increases happiness. For example, Kurtz (2008) induced some
University of Virginia students to feel like they had little
time left before graduation (compared to another group induced
to feel like they had more time