Gigantic Jet Lightning? It only lasts for about 1 second and is easily missed.
What’s this got to do with dopamine? Well, we generate dopamine all the time but it doesn’t last.
Dopamine is a ‘pleasure hormone’. Yet, it doesn’t last. On its own it cannot bring lasting happiness.
The Rolling Stones sang, “I can’t get no satisfaction”. No matter how much, ‘sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll’ they did (plus masses of travel, fast cars and so on) their pleasure was not lasting. The lifestyles of that generation of successful singers and musicians led many of them to ever increasing dependency on short-term fixes. They became hocked on lots of quickly generated dopamine while not being able to balance this with the hormones that go with happiness.
These days, most of us have become addicted to devices linked to the internet. Each ‘click’ giving tiny amounts of dopamine.
It is now known a big driver for these addictions is the ‘speed of the hit’.
- A picture can generate a little instant pleasure
- Seeking and finding answers to anything that interests us can also generate pleasure.
- Instantly being able to look up ‘Gigantic Jet Lightning’ pleased me.
Anything that gives pleasure can reinforce the behaviours that generate those pleasures.
I am not saying all this is bad behaviour. The trouble is excessive pleasure seeking means we fail to do what is important.
This morning I said, “No coffee until I have sorted my banking crisis.” I’d failed to cancel a direct debit. Now, I am craving my morning ‘caffeine-fix’ yet will not have coffee, any drink or any food until I have done what I sat down to do. This is part of limiting an addiction that has caused me trouble in the past. My inability to resist a coffee has so often got me into trouble. Even yesterday, digging a hole in my driveway a neighbour came around with two cups of coffee and said that it was okay if I did not want it. I drank it. That was 3pm. It was beautiful coffee (according to my tastes) yet that contributed to me staying up later and getting up later? No big harm done on this occasion.
By sharing this, am I simply going for more dopamine? A little maybe but this is about sharing. Sharing with me, myself and I, even if today I have no readers. Sharing, I believe has the power to enhance serotonin and even perhaps oxytocin (happiness hormones) as I think of the wonderful people I may be able to help. I am okay with being addicted to happiness.
Happiness can last so very much longer than pleasure.
Best wishes
Roger
This is a rare picture of Gigantic Jet Lightning
