Jeroen van Baar
Jeroen van Baar, PhD was born into the Millennial generation in the Dutch town of Apeldoorn. He studied liberal arts & sciences at University College Utrecht and obtained his PhD in cognitive neuroscience at Radboud University, before leaving on a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at Brown University. In 2014 he published the book "The Achievement Generation" about the performance pressure, achievement anxiety and surprising life dissatisfaction of his own generation.
Achievement Anxiety
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Our society is obsessed with achievement. For younger generations, competition and comparison pervade all aspects of life: from school and work to fitness and even our love life, thanks to Tinder and Instagram. But does achievement drive happiness? Decades of science suggest otherwise. In this light-hearted and thought-provoking session, psychologist and neuroscientist Jeroen van Baar reveals the secrets of the satisfied mind and asks the question on everybody's mind: would life be better if we just embraced mediocrity?
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During the expert session, Jeroen Van Baar engages the audience through interactive discussions on maximizers and satisficers, using real-life examples and the Mentimeter app for exercises. Participants share their thoughts in the chat function while Jeroen explores how societal pressures influence expectations and happiness. He also introduces the concepts of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, discussing their impact on decision-making and personal satisfaction.
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- Recognizing the Role of Expectations: Understanding how expectations shape our experiences of reality and the concept of hedonic adaptation can help individuals avoid the never-ending cycle of wanting more for greater happiness.
- Strategies for Effective Decision-Making: Distinguishing between maximizing and satisficing strategies in decision-making and their impact on long-term satisfaction, as well as focusing on intrinsic motivation, can lead to increased happiness and contentment.
- Importance of Balancing Fewer Choices with Autonomy: While having fewer choices may provide more autonomy, it also comes with the challenge of making informed decisions. Embracing a mindful approach and considering intrinsic motivators can help individuals find balance in their pursuit of satisfaction and happiness.
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In this expert session, speaker Jeroen Van Baar explores the themes of achievement anxiety, motivation, and happiness through his personal experiences and insights. The session begins with Jeroen sharing how attending a career convention left him feeling unfulfilled despite academic achievements and special access. This experience led him to question the cultural assumption that more achievement leads to greater happiness.
Jeroen introduces the concept of the hedonic treadmill effect, or hedonic adaptation, which suggests people become accustomed to their current level of happiness and continuously raise their standards for contentment. Using examples from consumer goods and job hunting, Jeroen illustrates how this phenomenon creates unrealistic expectations and makes it difficult to be satisfied with anything less than perfection.
The speaker then discusses the role of expectations in shaping our experiences of reality and encourages a more mindful approach to achieving balance and contentment in life. Participants are encouraged to engage with Jeroen and share their thoughts via an interactive presentation tool.
Jeroen goes on to explain how society's evolution over the past century has made it easier for individuals to compare themselves to a greater number of people, leading to higher expectations. He discusses two methods for dealing with this issue: maximizing and satisfying. Maximizers compare all options to find the best one, while satisficers settle for an acceptable option. While maximizers might end up with a better choice, they may also experience more negative feelings during decision-making. Satisficers, on the other hand, feel happier in the long run as they are less focused on getting the most out of something.
Jeroen then introduces the concepts of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation refers to doing something because one enjoys it or feels good at it, while extrinsic motivation involves doing an activity for external rewards or punishments. Jeroen shares a study demonstrating that people are more likely to choose an option when there are fewer alternatives. He encourages attendees to consider their tendencies towards maximization or satisficing and how these strategies impact decision-making and happiness in everyday life.
The session concludes with Jeroen discussing the benefits of having fewer working days, such as increased autonomy and time for personal interests. He recommends "The Paradox of Choice" by Barry Schwarz for those interested in learning more about maximizing and satisficing. Throughout the expert session, Jeroen emphasizes the importance of recognizing the role of expectations in shaping our experiences, encouraging a more mindful approach to decision-making, and focusing on intrinsic motivation for sustainable motivation and long-term happiness.
