It may be that the focus on creating and fulfilling a “bucket list” of experiences meant to make your life more meaningful has another significant facet:  “People seek extraordinary experiences—from drinking rare wines and taking exotic vacations to jumping from airplanes and shaking hands with celebrities. But are such experiences worth having? We found that participants thoroughly enjoyed having experiences that were superior to those had by their peers, but that having had such experiences spoiled their subsequent social interactions and ultimately left them feeling worse than they would have felt if they had had an ordinary experience instead. Participants were able to predict the benefits of having an extraordinary experience but were unable to predict the costs. These studies suggest that people may pay a surprising price for the experiences they covet most.” Many our most extraordinary experiences are not planned but rather occur if we are aware and open to both giving to, sharing with and appreciating one another and the natural world.

• Cooney G, Gilbert DT, Wilson TD. The unforeseen costs of extraordinary experience. Psychological Science. 2014;25 :2259-2265. [updated 7/30/2015]
• See also Why chasing happiness could actually have the opposite effect, The World Economic Forum, June 16, 2017.