How to reclaim joy without seeking out newness

Key takeaways

Newness is a normal human attraction supported by exploration instincts and dopamine, but the ease of modern purchasing makes it easier to consume without deciding whether something matters.
The happiness from a new purchase fades, while repeated buying can reduce money, time, attention, opportunities, and gratitude for what is already available.
Writing down personal values and using questions tied to those values can reduce status-driven or otherwise harmful purchases.
Consumers can widen the “new thing gap” by adding friction—such as deleting shopping apps, removing saved payment details, and waiting 24 hours before buying.
Revisiting familiar experiences can reveal overlooked details and produce genuine novelty without requiring another purchase.

Summary

Eric Athas stopped treating every Apple release as an event

Journalist and author Eric Athas says he once woke early on iPhone release days, waited hours at Apple stores, and felt a rush when opening each new product. Now he asks whether a purchase is something he wants, needs, or believes will improve his life. His current phone already sends texts, accesses email, and takes pictures of his children, so he sees no reason to replace it. Athas argues that newness itself is not bad; the problem is consuming new products, experiences, and apps automatically because companies and society equate new with better.

Human brains and frictionless shopping reinforce the pull of novelty

Athas says humans evolved to explore new foods, territory, and technologies, and that novelty triggers a dopamine response that makes discovery feel rewarding in itself. The marketplace intensifies that impulse by making purchases seamless, including late-night buying and one-click checkout. In an experiment, Athas bought pens online in 21.5 seconds, with delivery promised within about 24 hours. He says newness can shape identity, but today’s near-instant access creates an overabundance that makes unthinking consumption unusually easy.

The excitement of buying fades, while its costs remain

Athas says opening a package or wearing a new outfit produces genuine excitement, but research indicates that feeling fades, forcing people who use purchases to pursue happiness to keep buying. New purchases can drain money, time, attention, and opportunities, such as when impulse spending leaves someone unable to attend social events. The pursuit may also undermine gratitude: gratitude involves appreciating what one has, while shopping focuses attention on what is missing. Athas therefore sees constant novelty as potentially opposed to sustained happiness.

Writing down values can interrupt status-driven spending

Athas recommends identifying and writing down the values that should guide purchases, because research links value reflection with better decisions and behavior. He values less digital connection, so AI-powered glasses are an easy no; living in cold New York makes a warm hat or coat usually worthwhile. Professor Valerie Tiberius suggested imagining oneself as a scientist observing one’s life and asking what seems enjoyable or fulfilling. Athas also cites a study in which threatened self-worth increased willingness to buy high-status goods, while writing about personal values reduced that impulse.

Useful inconvenience creates a larger gap before purchase

Because novelty is constant, Athas says consumers should not rely on willpower alone. He calls the time and distance between encountering and acquiring something the “new thing gap” and recommends expanding it: delete tempting shopping apps, remove saved card information, make rules about what can be bought, or leave an item in a cart for 24 hours. He says interest tends to decline with delay. Athas also uses “persuasion knowledge” to spot tactics such as countdown clocks and limited-supply messages, recognizing that sellers are trying to drive his choice.

Old museums, board games, and familiar places can feel new again

Athas discusses research in which museum visitors predicted they would enjoy an exhibit less if they revisited it, but reported enjoying the second visit just as much after researchers made them repeat it. They noticed overlooked details and experienced the exhibit afresh. He applies the lesson to board games with his children, books, movies, neighborhood walks, restaurants, travel destinations, old music, recipes, hobbies, and friends. The point is not to reject all novelty, but to stop assuming that enjoyment requires continually spending time, money, and attention on something new.

Show notes

New gadgets, new apps, new experiences, new restaurants — we're constantly being told (and sold) that newness will bring order and meaning to our lives. But that drive for newness can take up our time and money in ways that don't align with our values and prevent us from enjoying the familiar. In this episode of Life Kit, journalist Eric Athas shares tips from his recent book, Saying No to New: Why New Things Are Stealing Your Time, Money, and Happiness—and How to Take Back Your Life.

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