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tags: #psychology #happiness #decision-making

Medium maximization is the cognitive bias where we focus on a medium or proxy for a goal, rather than the goal itself. In the context of happiness, this means chasing things like money, status, or possessions at the expense of actual well-being.

The medium (e.g., money) becomes the end-in-itself. We evolved in a world of scarcity where accumulating resources was directly tied to survival and well-being. In the modern world, this link is weaker, but our psychological drive remains.

This is a primary reason Why People Devalue Happiness. They are not actively choosing to be unhappy; they are simply over-focusing on a subgoal that they believe will lead to happiness, but which often becomes a trap.

Recognizing this bias is the first step toward re-orienting one's life to prioritize happiness directly, rather than chasing its proxies. This connects to the philosophical distinction between instrumental and intrinsic goods, where wisdom is knowing what is truly of intrinsic value.

Reference

Coursera, "A Life of Happiness and Fulfillment"