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Comment by throw0101a | Hacker News Reader

> And every miss heightens the excitement for the eventual lolly scramble.

People under-appreciate (or have forgotten) that a lot of happiness is is related to anticipating as opposed to getting. I think if more people focused on the journey or the process (or the (present) moment), versus the goal, there'd be more joy/happiness around.

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> People under-appreciate (or have forgotten) that a lot of happiness is is related to anticipating as opposed to getting

Shoppers & hobbyists who spend too much time browsing gear are well aware of this though generally don't like to admit it to themselves...

There was (I believe) a Korean app for people to fake shop so they get all the dopamine of the hunt without the cost of actually buying anything.

I began and ended many hobbies in the novelty phase by endlessly reading about them, shopping, comparing features, etc. that I eventually became bored with them before spending a dollar. I got (almost) the whole novelty phase for free.

I've also found new hobbies sometimes allow cheaper gadget purchases / higher enjoyment-per-dollar than buying more junk for longtime hobbies.

The logical mechanism for me was - a hobby I've done 30 years I have probably upgraded through various classes of equipment such that anything left to buy is expensive. For a new hobby I am back to buying little $100 gizmos again.

Doesn't work for some hobbies that have a higher cost of entry.

> There was (I believe) a Korean app for people to fake shop so they get all the dopamine of the hunt without the cost of actually buying anything.

* E.g., https://foodnevercomes.com

* https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/fake-shopping-website-ap...

HeisenShop sounds like a great app idea for shopaholics -- automatically don't buy / cancel random or exceeding-monthly-budget items without telling the user.

I have been thinking about just this the past two weeks. I have been trying to recall the excitement, the joy in the most mundane things, and indeed I think it has a lot to do with anticipation. FWIW LSD allowed me to experience this joy, and the curiosity kids have, or I had. :)

I think this is often related to the 'getting' not really being a challenge any more in a lot of cases.

Older kids tend to get fewer, more expensive gifts. I recently did the nested boxes gag, but with gift bags. What started out as a 2’x1’x6’ draw string bug turned into two gift cards. It was a lot of fun for a shaggy dog payoff that otherwise would have been an envelope tear and into the next thing.

Kids have a very poor ability to foresee and choose delayed gratification. The cookie experiment is proof of that. To children, a piñata is an exercice in intense delayed gratification. That and you get to hit things.

Maybe that's why people gamble so much...

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