There’s an interesting post in the Simple Dollar archives about the peak end rule, which lead me to do a bit of research on my own about this hypothesis. Initially put forward by a Nobel prize-winner, the peak end rule basically says that experiences we enjoy tend to have a pleasant middle and a strong finish. For me, this makes perfect sense since we usually remember our most recent experience more vividly.
After reading on this a bit, I started wondering about how I could put this rule to good use in my own life. It turns out there are quite a few uses.
Since reading about this rule, I’ve started paying more attention to how my experiences are arranged as a whole, not just what I did. I’ve found that if I end something on a strong note, I feel more satisfied about how it went.
When I read about the peak end rule, I instantly thought about how a nice meal is usually arranged. We have a small appetizer, a nice main course, and round it off with a lovely dessert and maybe even coffee. The whole thing has a lovely glow of completeness about it, and a nice, smooth finish that leaves everyone happy. From my perspective as a sweet lover, this arrangement often borders on “leaving the best for last”, which is true for other good experiences.
Viewing the meal in terms of a “peak end” experience has also made me realize that a dessert is good not just because it’s sweet and tasty, but also because it rounds off the meal nicely, and creates a perfect, happy ending. Understanding this has made me more open to having a healthy dessert at the end of the meal, or maybe green tea or coffee. It’s the whole experience and the lovely ending that’s most important, not (for daily meals) the quality of the dessert.
At the other end of the spectrum, this rule helps me understand why I don’t like jumping up at the end of a meal to do the dishes, and would rather savor the meal.
Similarly, when I end my day at work I feel happier if I’ve had a good experience when leaving. I can’t really control how my work-day goes, but I can control how I leave. Since I’m in training, we tidy up the room, the trainer makes a lame joke, and we all leave in a good mood. I try to walk to the train station with one of the people I really like, or I call my partner just to say hi and let him know I’m out. On the ride home I try to meditate a bit, and read a few pages of a Pratchett novel. I can’t control the ups and downs of my 9-5, but ending it smoothly allows me to get home in a good, energetic mood, all ready to write up another blog post.
I’ve also been trying to apply this rule to my workouts. I don’t really like working out that much, and the experience mostly consists of me being out of breath. I now try to incorporate some serious yoga stretches at the end, which are challenging and leave me feeling relaxed and happy that I went through all that exercise.
Most of us have “peak end” routines that we apply daily without being conscious of it. We do a nightly tidy-up maybe, parents tuck their children into bed, a perfect first date ends (maybe) with a good night kiss.
In my opinion, the peak end experience has a lot to do with transitioning. I like the idea of having a definite transition from one area of the day to another, a nice close to the current task. Whether it’s a meal, or a project, it’s nice to know that something has definitely ended, and even nicer to end it on a pleasant note.
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