This time, I want to talk about “happy”.
Editor’s note: This article comes from the WeChat public account “Mr. L said” (ID: lxianshengmiao) , author Lachel .
It was interesting to see a question the other day. Say:
Since our happiness comes from dopamine, why doesn’t the brain evolve into a model of “auto-secreting dopamine”?
This is indeed an interesting question. Many people know that we like to do one thing and think it is valuable, but because the brain secretes dopamine during this process, which gives us happiness and satisfaction;
Similarly, when you are in a bad mood, eating a little sweet food helps to improve your mood. The reason is also due to dopamine-it activates your reward system and awakens your motivation.
So why ca n’t the brain secrete dopamine all the time, leaving us in a state of “happiness” all the time?
The reason is simple: because what makes us happy is, in essence, not the dopamine itself, but the change in dopamine.
What do you mean? First understand a basic fact: the brain actually secretes dopamine every moment. We might as well assume the normal dopamine level to be 1.
When you get a reward-such as a bonus, a high score to pass an exam, or praise from others, dopamine secretion will increase, assuming 2.
So what is it that makes you happy and happy from the rewards? Is the result “dopamine 2”? No, but the process of “dopamine increased by 1”.
That is to say: the mechanism of dopamine’s function is actually to mark the brain through the “change” in concentration, telling the brain that this thing is valuable, help me write it down, strengthen it.
So, it ’s easy to understand: In a natural state, if the brain secretes dopamine from “always 1” to “always 2”, will there be any difference? will not. In this case, your brain will immediately adapt to the “dopamine = 2” state and turn it into a daily state. Only when it becomes 3, 4, 5 … you will feel happy.
The only effect it plays may even be negative: you need a bigger doseChanges in the amount of dopamine can stimulate the brain.
This theory is the “Reward prediction error hypothesis” proposed by Schultz et al. in 1997.
This hypothesis is elegant and concise. It reveals an extremely simple conclusion: Dopamine actually works, not the actual reward, but the “expectation difference” between the actual reward and the expected reward.
A simple example: I wrote an article a few months ago, and I might expect it to read more than 10,000 at 12 o’clock. If the reading is actually 15,000, and the evaluation is very good, then I will be very happy.
But given the high reading volume of recent articles, what do I expect? Will be adjusted up subconsciously. For example, when I write this article now, I might expect it to reach 12 o’clock, and the reading volume is not limited to 10,000, but 20,000.
So, in this case, if the reading becomes 18,000, which is higher than the previous 15,000, will I be happy? Maybe it won’t. Because compared to expectations, its “expectation difference” (18,000 minus 20,000) is a negative value.
(So I hope everyone will forward and share, thank you :))
So, instead of saying that “dopamine” marks “happiness”, it is better to say that it marks “surprise”, that is, rewards and stimuli that exceed expectations.
There are some interesting places here, let’s take a closer look.
When the brain gets a “surprise” for the first time, dopamine will increase a lot, marking the brain to connect this matter with reward. We assume that at this time its level is 100.
What happens to the brain when this is repeated a second time? The first “surprise” will become the second “expectation”. In other words, the second time you do this, your expectations are no longer 0, but may be 20. Then when you also get a reward of 100, your “expectation gap” becomes 80-this is actually the same as the “diminishing marginal utility” in economics.
What does this mean? When you repeat this thing 5 times, your expectations may become 100. At this time, if the reward is also 100, it is no longer attractive to you. In other words, it has become a “normal” for you.
So, we will say: In interpersonal communication, if oneAn individual is particularly good to another person for a long time. Over time, this kind of goodness will become a normal state, and the other party will not feel it.
On the contrary, once this kind of goodness declines, this kind of “change” will be noticed by the other party, resulting in negative feelings.
Similarly, in the company, if a person is always responsible and willing to help others, then over time, this kind of “helping people” will be regarded as “normal” by everyone. In everyone’s eyes, if there is a problem, I will call you. It is normal for you to help, but it is not normal to help.
They will not consider that what you have done and undertaken is often not your responsibility.
So, often, what is happiness? Not “what I got”, but such a formula:
Happy = (What you get-what you expect) / Expect
The more you have, the more expectations you have, the easier it is for you to ask for more, and the more you will suffer. Similarly, what you have noticed is more likely to be “lost” than “gained”.
Return to the previous analysis.
When you started doing this for the second time, the dopamine concentration in your brain changed from 0 to 20. What kind of results will this produce?
You will find that from 1 to 20, it is also a change, which also produces a “expectation gap.”
According to the previous content, there is a reward for poor expectations. This means that when we do this for the second time, it is actually equivalent to “paying in advance” a part of the reward.
So, what role does the advance portion of the reward play? It will increase your motivation to maintain and promote this process, giving you a stronger motivation to finish it to get the remaining 80 rewards.
Psychologist John Salamone presented two kinds of food to two groups of mice in one experiment: the first portion can be taken directly, the second portion is larger, but needs to cross the fence. It was found that almost all mice with low dopamine levels chose the former; while mice with high dopamine levels tended to cross the fence to obtain larger food.
You will notice that this is actually the source of “power”, which is what we call “self-driving”.
That is to say, what is the source of self-driving power? One is the unexpected surprise, which plays a directional role; the other is the advance payment, which plays a role in promoting. The combination of the two forms a strong driving force.
Going further, the brain is neuroplastic. This process, repeated once, may not necessarily become the driving force. But by repeating, cycling, and steadily increasing the rewards, you will be more willing to explore this world.
This is a strengthening process.
So, why is it that in this era, many people seem to be very “mourning”? Part of the reason may be: monotony and uncertainty, these seemingly contradictory two, form two huge yoke, firmly trapped us.
On the one hand, our lives are too monotonous, too immutable, almost every day can be seen clearly, are repeating their past patterns, lack of surprises and surprises, and lack of something that can attract you Goals-This leads to us, it is difficult for us to obtain “direction”.
Our behavior is driven by survival, not for life.
On the other hand, the whole environment is too cloudy and full of uncertainty. Whenever we want to try some changes and take a step, it is easy to get lost in this uncertainty. We don’t know what to do to get the “reward”, and we also lack a clear and reproducible behavior path.
This leads to the self-driving circuit, even if it can rotate, it is difficult to continue to run, constantly strengthening your exploration motivation and passion.
We are like a lonely boat that is accidentally thrown over the ocean, floating and sinking, drifting in the wind.
But this does not erase our way to happiness.
I like a sentence very much: Among all things, hope is the most beautiful. The most beautiful things will never fade.
Why is hope the most beautiful? Because what is the essence of hope is possibility.
No matter what the situation is, I always believe that “something will happen”, and always know that there are some paths that can be tried and can bring you “surprise”-this is what makes us most fascinated.
I have said in many previous articles: What is the fundamental need of the brain? Pursue stability.
In fact, we can say that stability and instability are the most fundamental and eternal contradiction of the brain. The brain gains peace of mind from stability and exercises from instability.
Only by combining these two and letting the brain constantly “turn instability into stability”, and then face the new “instability”, is a good state.
What do you mean? As if I was at
In the face of this variable, the brain will have two options. One is to escape it and continue to trap itself in the “old stable state.” The other is to face it, digest it, incorporate it into your old model, and enter a new “stable state.”
Going to the former, you are just alive and repeating yourself every day. Toward the latter, you are living.
You work every day, work overtime, go home after work, watch the drama and sleep, this is an old stable state. You are determined to change, read the book for 15 minutes and write some notes after returning home every day. It was very difficult at first, and I gradually adapted to this state, and even made some adjustments to my other activities and arrangements. I felt that life was more fulfilling and satisfying.
This is the transition from the old stable state to the new stable state.
A good life should also be like this: Based on a stable form, constantly welcoming new changes and new possibilities, let yourself continue to absorb “surprise”.
In other words: get satisfaction from unchanged and grow from change.
This kind of life has vitality.
However, as we get older, we gradually carry a lot of burden. Career, work, family, children, mortgage …
They shared our time and crowded our attention. It is no longer possible for us to do something outrageous as we did when we were young, betting on risk. Just as surprises always become our next expectation, what we have will eventually become our shackles and shackles.
A lot of times you might think: I am content, but unhappy.