Success, Status, and the Hedonic Treadmill

January 28, 2026

BY NICOLE LAU

Series: Locus and Money - Worth in Wealth (Part 4 of 6)

"When I earn $100K, I will feel worthy."

"When I buy this house, I will feel valuable."

"When I achieve this status, I will finally be enough."

But when you reach these goals, the feeling does not last. You need more. And more. And more.

This is the hedonic treadmill—the phenomenon where increased wealth does not bring lasting satisfaction or worth.

This article explores why more money does not bring lasting worth, status symbols as external validation, and the trap of chasing worth through wealth.

The Hedonic Treadmill

What Is the Hedonic Treadmill?

The hedonic treadmill (also called hedonic adaptation) is the tendency for people to return to a baseline level of happiness despite major positive or negative life changes.

You get a raise. You feel happy. Then you adapt. The happiness fades. You need another raise to feel happy again.

You buy a luxury car. You feel satisfied. Then you adapt. The satisfaction fades. You need a more expensive car.

This is the treadmill: You keep running (earning, buying, achieving) but you never arrive at lasting satisfaction.

The Hedonic Treadmill and Worth

When worth depends on wealth, the hedonic treadmill becomes a worth treadmill:

"I will feel worthy when I earn $X." You earn $X. You feel worthy briefly. Then you adapt. "I need to earn $X+Y to feel worthy."

This is financial external locus in motion. Worth depends on wealth. But wealth never brings lasting worth.

Why More Money Does Not Bring Lasting Worth

1. Adaptation: The New Normal

Humans adapt to new circumstances remarkably quickly. What was once exciting becomes normal.

Example: You get a promotion and a $50K raise. For a few weeks, you feel successful and worthy. Then it becomes your new normal. You adapt. The worth boost fades.

Why this happens: The raise did not change your inherent worth—it only provided temporary external validation. When the validation fades, the worth void returns.

2. Comparison: The Moving Target

Worth based on wealth is always comparative. You compare yourself to others.

"I earn $100K. I am successful." Then you meet someone earning $200K. Suddenly, you feel inadequate.

The target keeps moving. There is always someone wealthier. You can never be "enough" because enough is defined by comparison.

3. The Bar Keeps Rising

When worth depends on achievement, each success raises the bar for the next one.

"I earned $100K. Now I need $150K to feel worthy. Then $200K. Then $500K."

This is the treadmill: You must keep achieving more to maintain the same level of worth.

4. External Validation Is Temporary

Wealth provides external validation: "I am successful. I am valuable." But external validation is always temporary.

It fades. It requires constant renewal. You must keep earning, keep achieving, keep proving.

Result: Exhaustion. Fragile worth. Never enough.

Status Symbols as External Validation

What Are Status Symbols?

Status symbols are possessions or achievements that signal wealth, success, or social standing:

Luxury cars, designer clothes, expensive watches
Large houses in prestigious neighborhoods
Elite education credentials
High-status job titles
Exclusive memberships or experiences

These are not just things—they are worth signals.

Status Symbols as Worth Proof

When worth depends on external validation, status symbols become proof of worth:

"If I own this car, people will see I am successful. If people see I am successful, I am valuable."

This is worth display. You are not buying the car for its function—you are buying it to prove you are worthy.

The Trap of Status Seeking

1. Worth Depends on Others' Perception

"I am valuable if others see me as successful."

This is extreme external locus. Your worth depends on others' perception of your status.

Result: Constant performance. Anxiety about how you are perceived. Fragile worth.

2. The Status Arms Race

Status is relative. If everyone has a luxury car, it is no longer a status symbol. You need a more expensive car.

This creates an arms race: You must constantly upgrade to maintain status.

Result: Endless consumption. Financial strain. Never enough.

3. Debt and Financial Insecurity

Many people go into debt to purchase status symbols—to prove they are worthy.

"I cannot afford this car, but I need it to feel valuable."

Result: Financial insecurity. Stress. The very thing you bought to feel secure makes you insecure.

4. Emptiness Despite Success

You achieve the status. You own the symbols. But you still feel empty.

Because the void is not a status void—it is a worth void. And status cannot fill it.

The Trap: Chasing Worth Through Wealth

The Pattern

I feel worthless (worth void)
I believe wealth will make me worthy (external locus)
I chase wealth (earning, achieving, consuming)
I achieve wealth (temporary worth boost)
I adapt (worth boost fades)
I feel worthless again (worth void returns)
I chase more wealth (the treadmill continues)

This is the trap: You are running on a treadmill, chasing worth that can never be caught through wealth.

Why the Trap Persists

1. Temporary Relief

Wealth does provide temporary worth relief. The raise, the purchase, the achievement—they feel good briefly.

This reinforces the belief: Wealth = worth. I just need more.

2. Cultural Reinforcement

Society constantly reinforces: "Wealth = worth. Success = value. Status = importance."

Every advertisement, every social media post, every cultural message tells you: You need more to be enough.

3. Fear of Stopping

"If I stop chasing wealth, I will be worthless. I must keep running."

The treadmill feels safer than stepping off—because stepping off means facing the worth void without the distraction of chasing.

The Cost

Exhaustion - Constant striving, no rest
Fragile worth - Always dependent on next achievement
Missed life - Chasing wealth instead of living
Relationship strain - Prioritizing wealth over connection
Emptiness - Achieving everything and feeling nothing

Stepping Off the Treadmill

The Shift

From: "I will be worthy when I achieve wealth/status."

To: "I am already worthy. Wealth is a tool, not a worth source. I can earn, achieve, and enjoy without needing it to prove my value."

What This Enables

1. Sufficiency

"I have enough. I do not need more to be worthy."

This is not settling. This is freedom from the treadmill.

2. Enjoyment Without Attachment

"I can enjoy wealth without needing it to feel worthy. I can lose it without losing myself."

3. Sustainable Success

"I can achieve and succeed from love of the work, not need for worth. This is sustainable."

4. Presence

"I can be present in my life instead of constantly chasing the next achievement."

5. Generosity

"I can give without fear of depletion. My worth is not in my wealth."

Case Example: From Treadmill to Freedom

Sarah's Story

Background: Sarah, 38, was a high achiever. She climbed the corporate ladder, earned six figures, owned luxury items. But she felt empty.

Treadmill phase: "When I earn $100K, I will feel worthy." She earned it. Felt worthy briefly. Then: "I need $150K." Then $200K. Then $300K. The bar kept rising. She was exhausted.

Crisis: Sarah achieved everything she thought would make her worthy—high income, prestigious title, luxury lifestyle. But she felt more empty than ever.

Realization: "I have been chasing worth through wealth. But no amount of money makes me feel worthy for long. The problem is not that I do not have enough money. The problem is that I believe my worth depends on money."

Locus work:

Separated wealth from worth: "I am valuable whether I am wealthy or not"
Practiced sufficiency: "I have enough"
Stepped off the treadmill: "I do not need to keep achieving to be worthy"
Found meaning beyond wealth: "What do I actually value? What brings me joy?"

Outcome: After 10 months, Sarah left her high-stress job for work she loved (at lower pay). She sold luxury items she did not need. She felt more worthy than ever—not because of wealth, but because she knew her worth was inherent.

Sarah: "I spent my life on the treadmill, chasing worth through wealth. I achieved everything and felt nothing. Now I know: I am worthy simply because I exist. That freed me from the chase."

Practice: Stepping Off the Treadmill

Reflection Questions

Do I believe more wealth will make me feel worthy?
Do I adapt to financial success and then need more?
Do I compare my wealth to others to determine my worth?
Do I purchase status symbols to prove I am valuable?
Am I on the hedonic treadmill, constantly chasing but never arriving?

Practices for Freedom

1. Recognize the Treadmill

"I am on the hedonic treadmill. More wealth will not bring lasting worth. I can step off."

2. Practice Sufficiency

"I have enough. I do not need more to be worthy."

3. Separate Wealth from Worth

"Wealth is a tool. It is not my worth. I am valuable whether I am wealthy or not."

4. Question Status Seeking

"Am I buying this to prove I am worthy? Can I let go of status seeking?"

5. Find Meaning Beyond Wealth

"What do I actually value? What brings me joy? What is meaningful to me beyond money?"

What Comes Next

We have explored success, status, and the hedonic treadmill. The next article examines Financial Failure and the Value Vacuum—bankruptcy, job loss, financial crisis as worth collapse, and recovery through locus shift.

This is where we explore what happens when the wealth you tied your worth to is lost.