Effort Justification Makes Hard Things Feel More Valuable

The more you struggle to achieve something, the more you tend to value it. This psychological effect — effort justification — is why fraternities use hazing, why expensive courses feel more valuable, and why people who cook their own meals enjoy them more. The Ikea Effect is a famous variant: we overvalue things we've partially built ourselves.

Source: Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology — Aronson & Mills (1959)