Today, many people pursue happiness through various activities and consumption. But does the pursuit of pleasure truly bring happiness? Anna Lembke’s book “Dopamine Nation” provides a surprising answer to this question. In this article, we will take time to reconsider modern happiness through the paradoxical relationship between dopamine and pleasure.
Dopamine and the Reward Circuit
Dopamine is a key component of the reward circuit that drives our motivation. When we hear the word dopamine, we might think of joy or pleasure, but dopamine has a more powerful function: driving repetitive behaviors. Games, social media, and various consumer goods all stimulate dopamine, deeply embedding themselves into our daily lives.
Anna Lembke uses the term “limbic capitalism” to describe this phenomenon. Surrounding products continuously stimulate us, leading to addiction. This is particularly true for companies like NCSoft and social media platforms. However, she emphasizes that such pursuit of pleasure actually reduces positive emotions and leaves only negative ones.
The Paradox of Pleasure and Pain
Did you know that dopamine controls both our pleasure and pain? Our brain strives to maintain homeostasis, so if we feel pleasure, it will try to return to a state of pain. Eventually, the degree of pleasure we feel from the same stimulus decreases, leading us to seek greater stimuli, which marks the beginning of addiction.
In her book, Anna Lembke argues that simply pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain does not lead to true happiness. Repetitive pleasure-seeking actually brings unhappiness, and we need to recognize this.
Escaping Addiction
Lembke suggests a 30-day period of abstinence as a way to escape addiction. By clearly identifying the target of addiction and avoiding it for a set period, we can reset the pleasure-pain balance in our brain. Afterwards, we can redefine our relationship with the target of addiction and escape from it.
Modern Society and Dopamine Addiction
Dopamine addiction manifests in various forms in modern society. Intermittent fasting, extreme exercise, and workaholism are all dopamine-stimulating behaviors. While these activities can be beneficial to health, in excess, they can lead to another form of addiction.
Lembke points out that social media is a particular problem. Today, social media easily allows the creation of false selves and encourages managing narratives detached from reality. This is one of the reasons people in the wealthiest countries feel the greatest sense of lack.
Conclusion: Moderation and Simple Pleasures
Understanding the paradox of dopamine and pleasure reveals that simple pleasure-seeking or pain avoidance does not bring the expected happiness but rather causes unhappiness. Recovery begins with moderation, allowing us to find joy in simple pleasures. These small joys, or simple pleasures, bring true happiness to our lives. Join the journey to find true happiness through moderation.
Reference: Anna Lembke, “Dopamine Nation”