How to Use the Pleasure/Pain Principle

Important: GDPR Email Preferences

As you may already know, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will be coming into effect on 25th May 2018. We take your privacy seriously and we are working hard to ensure we comply with the new data protection laws. You can find out more about how we're doing this in our privacy policy on our website.

We want to make sure you continue to receive the latest newsletters, blogs, special offers and more.

As someone who has opted-in to receive our emails in the past, we’d like to give you this opportunity to confirm what you wish to receive:

Just so you know, if you don’t let us know what kinds of emails you want to receive from us, we’ll stop emailing you on the 24th May 2018 - you'll be missing out!

You are of course free to change your mind at any time – just follow the link at the bottom of any of our emails.

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:

1. 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?
2. 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.

1. What is the long-term painful consequences you will suffer if you keep doing what you are doing?
2. 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

Blogs by Email

Do you want to receive an email whenever we post a new blog? The blogs contain article 5-10 minutes long - ideal for reading during your coffee break!

Your Comments

Further Reading in Personal Effectiveness

• Why people act the way they do
  Why people act the way they do Some people seem to act in strange ways. They do things that seem to make no sense. They like things that you don't like. They say things you would not say. They believe in things that you do not think are true. They do...
  Read Article >
• How to cut costs and become more efficient
  How to cut costs and become more efficient Here is a good motto to memorise "Complexity and waste thrive on each other" You want to achieve your goals. In order to do that you must: Maximise your productivity Minimise your costs Efficiency is the ratio that relates your productivity to your...
  Read Article >
• How to Respond to a Negative Situation
  Many people do not respond well to negative feedback, feeling that it is personal criticism. Sometimes feedback may turn to conflict, which in turn can lead to anger and upset. Take a look at our guide as to how to handle these negative situations.
  Read Article >
• How to achieve and maintain a positive attitude
  Your attitudes are important, because they affect how you feel in a given situation and how you respond to that situation. How you act in response to a situation will affect the outcome and your success in life. Learn to be more positive.
  Read Article >
• How to Stop Worrying
  Many people spend too much valuable time, fretting and worrying over things which have happened; or might happen. Fretting and worrying doesn't change anything other than your emotional state.
  Read Article >

Advert