- The Brain Investor
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- #14: Two Sides of Dopamine.
Hi,
I'm happy you want to invest in your brain. That's a smart choice. As always, I've got 4 Brain Nutrients for you:
One Short Article: Two Sides of Dopamine
Two Quotes.
One Neuroscience Fact: Flow State Is Impossible for Learning.
Enjoy!
One Short Article: Two Sides of Dopamine
Dopamine's evil side.
Living in an abundant world exposed dopamine's dark side. For an average hunter-gatherer, having strong dopamine circuits was beneficial. He could hunt all day and provide food for his tribe. But today, excessive dopamine release leads to the worst addictions like:
drugs
alcohol
social media
video games
junk food
porn
TV.
What used to be an asset has become a liability. Our brains evolved in scarcity. They don't know how to handle the stimuli they face now.
I already explained how Big Tech companies create addictive products. Sadly, the food industry doesn't care about your health either. Our ancestors didn't eat regularly. The food was scarce, so a decent lunch was exceptional. Finding calorie-dense foods and eating as much as possible was crucial for survival. Thus foods rich in salt, fat, or sugar trigger powerful internal rewards.
Producing addictive foods your brain can't resist is easy. Just add a combination of fat, sugar, or salt. But food companies don't stop there. They play with nuances like flavoring, crunchiness, or smoothness to stimulate our senses.
"We have the brains of our ancestors but temptations they never had to face." James Clear, Atomic Habits.
As a result, the number of various addictions increases all the time. And many of them are disastrous.
Dopamine's good side.
But dopamine also drives us to pursue things. It motivates us to build and create. It's the same molecule that built up the most valuable hunter-gatherers.
Today, dopamine pushes high achievers to work hard. It urges the best athletes to practice more and harder than everybody else. It inspires artists to execute boring activities only to master their craft.
Why does dopamine have two sides?
Dopamine stays behind every progress of human civilization. But through addictions, the same chemical kills relationships, potential, and ambitions. So what's the difference? Andrew Huberman has the answer:
"Pleasure experienced without a prior requirement for pursuit is terrible for us."
"Cheap Dopamine" - the one you get without effort - is available 24/7. And you can get it within seconds. Minutes at most. Sadly, your brain rewards you for addictive activities. But the pleasure is short-term, and the pain is long-term.
"Relentless pursuit of pleasure leads to pain." Anna Lembke.
So you can either work hard for your dopamine by ignoring instant gratification. Or you can effortlessly tap into dopamine circuits. But the latter makes you feel lazy and unmotivated all the time.
Which side do you choose?
That's it for today. Understanding the impact of dopamine is crucial. I will write more about it. But I highly encourage you to explore the topic on your own. I hope I inspired you to do so. Here are my recommendations.
Books:
Podcasts:
Video:
Two Quotes
"Don't hope for a life without problems. There's no such thing. Instead, hope for a life full of good problems." Mark Manson, The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F.ck
"Anyone that suggests to me to do less is either not a real friend or very confused!" Grant Cardone, The 10X Rule.
One Neuroscience Fact: Flow State Is Impossible for Learning.
Flow state is the phenomenon when you lose track of time while creating. It's when you reach your productivity peaks. It's known to:
artists
writers
programmers
any other creators.
But you can't get into the flow state when you learn something new. It is possible only during creation, not consumption. It's a result of capabilities that are already a part of your nervous system.
Thanks for reading. See you next week.
Keep your brain in mind.
Kris
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