How to Use the Pleasure/Pain Principle
This grid holds the secret to understanding why people do strange things:
Many people eat too much, drink too much, take drugs that they know will destroy them, drive motorbikes at 100mph on crowded motorways, and generally act in a manner likely to take them to an early grave.
The big question is; WHY?
Because its pleasurable!
The human brain is programmed by two factors: pleasure and pain.
The human brain is a pleasure-seeking organ, it is always looking for things that it thinks will bring it pleasure.
It is also a pain avoiding mechanism. It wants to avoid things it finds painful. Therefore:
- We eat cream cakes rather than fish, because cream cakes are more pleasurable.
- We drink wine rather than water, because wine is more pleasurable.
- We lie in bed too long and don't run around the block, because lying in bed is more pleasurable.
Annoyingly, bad habits tend to be more pleasurable than good habits. But only if you assume a short-term perspective.
If you look at the long-term consequences of a particular habit, then the pleasure pain consequences often switch places!
- What was pleasurable becomes painful.
- What was painful becomes pleasurable.
For instance:
- Cream cakes are pleasurable in the short term, when you eat them. But what are the painful long-term consequences you will suffer if you overeat on cream cakes? Fish is not as pleasurable as cream cakes, but what are the pleasurable long-term consequences you will enjoy if you eat a fish-based diet?
- Lying in bed for too long is pleasurable short term, but what are the painful long-term consequences you will suffer if you lie around and never exercise? Hard Running is not pleasurable, but what are the pleasurable long-term consequences you will enjoy if you train hard three times per week for three months?
Wisdom is the art of thinking long range.
Judging actions by considering the short-term consequences, tends to produce bad decisions.
Judging actions by considering the long-term consequences, tends to produce wise decisions.
When you are trying to change a behaviour, or a bad habit, keep asking the following two long-term consequence questions and try to get as many answers as you can.
- What is the long-term painful consequences you will suffer if you keep doing what you are doing?
- What is the long-term pleasurable benefits you will enjoy, if you do make a change?
Memorise these two questions and use them on yourself and other people, in order to make them re-evaluate their current behaviour and induce them to consider making a change.
For example: What are the long-term painful consequences you will suffer if you keep procrastinating on that job you don't want to do? And what are the long-term pleasurable benefits you will enjoy, if you just bite the bullet and get the job done?
"The aim of the wise is not to secure pleasure, but to avoid pain." Aristotle
Pleasure-Pain Principle
In personal effectiveness, the pleasure-pain principle is the idea that we act to get pleasure and dodge pain. It works in the mind first, drives quick choices, and can flip when we look long term. By naming future pain and future pleasure, we can use the rule to replace harmful habits with helpful ones.
CG4D Definition
Context: Personal effectiveness
Genus: Principle
- Links each choice to the wish to gain pleasure or avoid pain
- Works first in the mind, shaping feelings before action starts
- Acts strongest in the short term unless we think ahead
- Can be used on purpose to replace bad habits with good ones
Article Summary
Your brain chases what feels good and flees hurt; when you picture the long-term cost of a bad habit and the lasting reward of change, short-term urges fade and wise action wins.