pleasureandpainmissthisfundamentalaspectofhuman
existence. A seemingly happy life may be empty. A
seeminglydifficultlifemaybedevotedtoagreatcause.
We have purposes larger than ourselves. Unlike your
experiencing self—which is absorbed in the
moment—your remembering self is attempting to
recognizenotonlythepeaksofjoyandvalleysofmisery
but also howthe story works out asa whole. That is
profoundly affectedby howthings ultimatelyturn out.
Whywouldafootballfanletafewflubbedminutesatthe
end of the gameruin threehours of bliss? Because a
football game is a story. And in stories, endings matter.
Yetwealsorecognizethattheexperiencingselfshould
notbeignored.Thepeakandtheendingarenottheonly
thingsthatcount.Infavoringthemomentofintensejoy
over steady happiness, the remembering self is hardly
always wise.
“Aninconsistencyisbuiltintothedesignofourminds,”
Kahnemanobserves.“Wehavestrongpreferencesabout
thedurationofourexperiencesofpainandpleasure.We
want pain to be brief and pleasure to last. But our
memory... has evolved to represent the most intense
momentofanepisodeofpainorpleasure(thepeak)and
thefeelingswhentheepisodewasatitsend.Amemory
thatneglects durationwillnotserve ourpreferencefor
long pleasure and short pains.”
Whenourtimeislimitedandweareuncertainabouthow
besttoserveourpriorities,weareforcedtodealwiththe
factthatboththeexperiencingselfandtheremembering
selfmatter.Wedonotwanttoendurelongpainandshort
pleasure. Yet certain pleasures can make enduring