“Benefits should be granted little by little, so that they may be better enjoyed.”Niccolò Machiavelli · Principele · 1532 · capitolul 3
Pleasure comes from change, not level: dose your favors so each one tastes new.
The mechanism is adaptation: pleasure is measured by change, not by absolute level. One huge gift quickly becomes the new normal, while small successive gifts keep gratitude alive. A boss who grants the whole raise at once spends it instantly; one who stages it harvests a moment of satisfaction each time. Kindness, like harm, has an economy of dosage.
Why it matters Apply it to generosity, recognition, rewards: dose them over time. A repeated gesture outweighs a spectacular one-off.