Your Brain’s Love of Happy Endings Could Make You Unhappy
Focusing too narrowly on how things end can hinder one’s ability to make good decisions
Science and Hollywood both have proof that people prefer happy endings. Research shows that people are more likely to repeat experiences that finish on a high note (think: sex, a meal followed by dessert, or your favorite holiday rom-com). But a new study published in the Journal of Neuroscience found that people’s affinity for happy endings could actually hinder one’s ability to make decisions that maximize enjoyment — and it applies to everything from choosing a restaurant to moving on from a breakup.
Consider a tropical vacation (when such a thing was possible): If the weather is lovely throughout but it rains on your last day, you may be less likely to remember the experience fondly. And, because of the unhappy ending of that last rainy day, you might also be less likely to choose to take a similar getaway in the future. And that actually works against your best interests.
Final impressions can be deceiving
Cambridge University’s Martin Vestergaard, PhD, and Wolfram Schultz, PhD, who both work in the university’s department of physiology, development, and neuroscience, use the example of a rainy…
