Punishment Fades, Reward Stays
Summary
- If you've overindulged in drinking and experience a hangover, you may swear off alcohol, yet find yourself repeating the behavior because the pain fades, but the pleasure remains memorable.
- Similarly, after a breakup, you may initially recall only the positive aspects of the relationship, as the negative feelings dissipate over time.
- When encountering an ex-partner again, the negative experiences can resurface suddenly, reminding you of the reasons for the split.
- Over time, our recollection of the negative aspects associated with a person diminishes, particularly if they've passed away, because they're no longer around to continue causing negative feelings, leaving behind mostly positive memories.
Video
How To Take Action
I would suggest reflecting on past experiences with a clear eye. If you've made mistakes before, like maybe drinking too much, you know the bad feeling goes away but you remember the fun. That's how our brains work. So, if you're running a small business or working on personal growth, think about this. When you make a decision, write down the good and the bad. Keep that list. That way, when you look back, you don't just remember the good stuff, and you don't make the same mistake.
A good way of doing this is to keep a journal. When something goes wrong, write it down. When something goes right, put that in there too. Later, when you're thinking about what happened, you have your notes. They'll help you remember everything, not just the fun or easy parts.
If an ex-business idea, a habit, or a plan comes back into your thoughts, and you're only thinking of good things, look at your journal. It will remind you of why you stopped or changed in the first place. You need to see both sides so you can make better choices.
Remember, everyone has ups and downs. But if you learn from the downs and not just enjoy the ups, you'll do better next time. Write down the hard lessons, and use them to grow. It's a low-cost way to make sure you're learning and moving forward. Plus, it helps you make decisions with all the info, not just the happy memories.
Quotes by Alex Hormozi
"If you ever like drank too much one weekend you wake up the next day and you're like hung over you're like I'm never going to drink again"
– Alex Hormozi
"The punishment associated with The Hangover faded but the reward associated with getting drunk and partying stays the same"
– Alex Hormozi
"If you break up with somebody months later you think about the good times but you forget about the bad times"
– Alex Hormozi
"Punishment Fades War days over time"
– Alex Hormozi
"I think the reason that people speak really nicely about people who've been dead for a long time is that that person has never had the ability to punish them anymore for a very long time"
– Alex Hormozi
Full Transcript
if you ever like drank too much one weekend you wake up the next day and you're like hung over you're like I'm never going to drink again and then next weekend you're out there partying what happened is the punishment associated with The Hangover faded but the reward associated with getting drunk and partying stays the same the same reason if you break up with somebody months later you think about the good times but you forget about the bad times you ever see them again then all of a sudden it all comes rushing back you're like oh my God this person sucks what was I thinking right you remember it all because punishment Fades War days over time and I'm going to get really real I think the reason that people speak really nicely about people who've been dead for a long time is that that person has never had the ability to punish them anymore for a very long time and they only remember the good things
