Cognitive Scaffold

Preparing your thinking workspace

arrow_back_ios_new
MENTAL MODEL · M2611

Arrival Fallacy

Arrival Fallacy
BehaviorHigh supportPositive Psychology
Included
account_tree

Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-31

CORE DEFINITION

A common illusion that once a certain goal is achieved (e.g., promotion, marriage, buying a house), one will be happy forever. In reality, the happiness from achieving a goal is short-lived; people quickly adapt to the new state and return to their original happiness baseline.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

A preventive measure against emptiness. It reminds us that happiness lies not in 'arriving at the destination' but in 'the process of climbing.' If you endure present suffering for the sake of that 'moment of arrival,' you are bound to be disappointed. Break down your happiness goals into daily actions rather than pinning them on the endpoint.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Hedonic adaptation causes happiness to quickly return to baseline after goal achievement; pinning happiness on the 'endpoint' overlooks the value of the process itself, leading to emptiness and disappointment after arrival, forming a cycle of 'goal-excitement-return to baseline.'

MINIMUM ACTION

In progress 0/4

Practice this model in one real situation:

Check to track your progress (stored locally)
Learning progress0%
account_treeGenealogyexpand_more
menu_bookReferencesexpand_more

Source support: Explicit

RELATED MODELS

Related model

Broaden-and-Build Theory

Negative emotions (fear/anger) narrow our attention to cope with survival crises.

arrow_forwardRelated model

PERMA Model

Happiness is not a single emotion but is composed of five pillars: Positive Emotion, Engagement (Flow), Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment.

arrow_forwardRelated model

Vorfreude

The pleasure derived from anticipating a future happy event.

arrow_forward