Dopamine V.S. Serotonin
As I have said before, I believe that happiness has two definitions: pleasure and long-term satisfaction of life. Two neurotransmitters, called dopamine and serotonin, are responsible for your pleasure and your satisfaction. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that sends pleasure to the brain, when you are having fun, or you are doing drugs that stimulate it. If you have too much dopamine, you will be prone to addiction. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is responsible for your long-term happiness, and helps you manage stress. If you have too little serotonin, you may face depression. Dopamine and serotonin are both important neurotransmitters in your brain, and they are useful for your pleasure and happiness. Here's what Nancy Etcoff said, at a Harvard conference on positive psychology:
"Our reward system is fed by dopamine that is thought to activate the brain's pleasures is really a brain desire system -- it's really about wanting. Pleasure and pain are related in the brain, through the opioid transmitters that provide a sense of comfort. We didn't evolve for happiness," Nancy Etcoff said. "We evolved for survival and reproduction."
Daniel Gilbert has his own thing to say about happiness:
"Happiness is a noun, so we think it's something we can own," explains Daniel Gilbert, "But happiness is a place to visit, not a place to live. There is a conspiracy between genes and culture to keep us in the dark about the real sources of happiness. If society realized that money would not make people happy, its economy would grind to a halt."
Serotonin and dopamine have their own roles to play in our happiness, since our brains determine our feelings and how we experience them. They are both important neurotransmitters, and we must be aware of them as we walk the road to happiness.
"Our reward system is fed by dopamine that is thought to activate the brain's pleasures is really a brain desire system -- it's really about wanting. Pleasure and pain are related in the brain, through the opioid transmitters that provide a sense of comfort. We didn't evolve for happiness," Nancy Etcoff said. "We evolved for survival and reproduction."
Daniel Gilbert has his own thing to say about happiness:
"Happiness is a noun, so we think it's something we can own," explains Daniel Gilbert, "But happiness is a place to visit, not a place to live. There is a conspiracy between genes and culture to keep us in the dark about the real sources of happiness. If society realized that money would not make people happy, its economy would grind to a halt."
Serotonin and dopamine have their own roles to play in our happiness, since our brains determine our feelings and how we experience them. They are both important neurotransmitters, and we must be aware of them as we walk the road to happiness.