When you already know what’s coming next, you’re immune to the feeling. Take self-massage for instance. It always feels better when someone else rubs your shoulders for you.
People externalize touch the same way they externalize their thoughts and other senses—the body elevates in anticipation of the surprise. When it comes to ice cream, for instance, the first taste is always with our eyes.
We breathe life into our future experiences, and our dopamine slowly runs for the exits after we dive in. Life is like having a cup of coffee. Pleasure is as temporary as an Instagram like.
You can’t outsource peak experience. It will forever be an internal response to things outside our immediate control.
gif by Kevin Carter