Why is dopamine known as the motivation chemical? How does dopamine influence our thinking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dopamine is called the motivation chemical because it inspires us to think about and focus on future happiness and work<\/a> towards something. By looking more closely at how this neurotransmitter works, you can understand why you\u2019re motivated in the ways that you are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Consider these explanations of how dopamine works<\/a> and how it influences motivation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Dopamine is a neurotransmitter\u2014a chemical for carrying signals between brain cells\u2014that serves as both a motivator and a reward when you pursue new possibilities, or \u201cwhat ifs.\u201d Your brain releases dopamine when you encounter something new or unexpected, or when you make progress toward a personal goal. Furthermore, dopamine creates feelings of pleasure, so you\u2019ll naturally want to pursue things that produce that dopamine high<\/a>. Because of this, dopamine is sometimes called a motivation chemical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In short, dopamine drives you to learn new things, have unique experiences, and get what you want.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The human brain splits the world into two categories, which we\u2019ll refer to as \u201cwhat if\u201d and \u201cwhat is.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat if\u201d means anything that would take effort to obtain. This category can refer to literal objects, like a bottle of milk that you need to go to the grocery store to get. However, it could also mean experiences you\u2019d like to have or situations you\u2019d like to be in; for example, meeting your favorite celebrity or starting a relationship with someone you\u2019re attracted to. Dopamine motivates you to pursue things in the \u201cwhat if\u201d category. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dopamine is the \u201cwhat if\u201d chemical because it helps you look to the future. There are a number of different chemicals responsible for helping you experience and enjoy the present.<\/strong> We\u2019ll refer to them as the \u201cwhat is\u201d chemicals to provide a clear counterpoint to dopamine, the \u201cwhat if\u201d chemical. For example, one notable \u201cwhat is\u201d chemical is serotonin<\/em>, which produces feelings of contentment and well-being (not to be confused with the dopamine-driven feelings of pleasure and excitement).<\/p>\n\n\n\n These \u201cwhat is\u201d chemicals are relevant to the discussion of dopamine because they often compete with it. It\u2019s impossible to completely focus on the present and the future simultaneously <\/strong>because your brain can\u2019t process all those chemicals at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Shortform note: While this argument says that the \u201cwhat is\u201d chemicals work against <\/em>dopamine, neurologist Robert Sapolsky says in Behave<\/em><\/a> that dopamine and serotonin work together to motivate us<\/a>. However, Behave <\/em>also explains why different experts may make different claims about the relationship between dopamine and \u201cwhat is\u201d chemicals: The human brain is extremely complex, so the effects of any particular chemical often depend on countless other factors\u2014not even neurologists fully understand how all of the neurotransmitters interact. In other words, it\u2019s not totally accurate to say that dopamine is the \u201cmotivation chemical\u201d or that serotonin is the \u201chappiness chemical\u201d; those are just simplified explanations that make brain functions<\/a> easier to understand.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Since \u201cwhat if\u201d and \u201cwhat is\u201d work against each other, which should you focus on producing? Both, according to experts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Healthy, sustainable happiness involves finding the right balance of dopamine and the \u201cwhat is\u201d chemicals; <\/strong>you\u2019re happiest when you\u2019re content with the present and <\/em>excited about the future<\/a>. Since it\u2019s impossible to totally focus on the present and the future at the same time, this means shifting frequently between \u201cwhat is\u201d and \u201cwhat if\u201d\u2014for example, you might work on a task that keeps you fully engaged, then when you\u2019re done you feel excited about having gotten closer to one of your goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Shortform note: This advice to balance \u201cwhat if\u201d with \u201cwhat is\u201d goes against the advice of many self-help experts, who say that the key to happiness<\/a> is to always live in the moment. For example, in Maybe You Should Talk to Someone<\/em><\/a>, psychotherapist Lori Gottlieb says she got over a crippling midlife crisis by learning to enjoy each moment as it comes<\/a> (instead of obsessing over the past or worrying about the future<\/a>). However, as we\u2019ll discuss in the next section, people respond more strongly to dopamine than to the \u201cwhat is\u201d chemicals; therefore, it\u2019s likely that placing such extreme emphasis on the present actually creates the balance discussed here.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n How can you achieve this balance? Experts suggest finding a career or hobby that requires you to concentrate on what you\u2019re doing at the moment, but also to plan ahead and make progress toward longer-term goals. For example, practicing martial arts demands your full attention in the present, but it also involves striving for higher ranks and training for upcoming matches. Any type of creative work has a similar effect: You have to focus on the work you\u2019re currently doing, but you also need to have an idea of what the finished product will look like, whether it\u2019s a painting, a novel, or something else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Shortform note: Another practice that commonly helps people experience and enjoy the present is mindfulness meditation<\/a>. This works because mindfulness really means awareness<\/em>; mindfulness meditation<\/a> trains you to be aware of yourself and everything you\u2019re experiencing moment-to-moment. Once you\u2019re aware of those experiences, you\u2019ll be able to appreciate and enjoy them.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, humans haven\u2019t evolved to be happy; we\u2019ve evolved to survive, and survival is largely dopamine-driven.<\/strong> Early humans had to constantly search for what they needed to live, such as places to take shelter and animals to hunt. Taking the time to relax and enjoy what they already had wouldn\u2019t have helped them survive. We\u2019ve already discussed the effects this has at the individual level: the urge to chase whatever you don\u2019t have, regardless of whether you really need it, or even whether it\u2019s good for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n At the societal level, that same urge has both positive and negative effects. On the positive side, it drives humanity to constantly seek new discoveries, new inventions, more territory, and more resources. This leads to incredible advancements in science and technology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (Shortform note: The human drive for progress and discovery is at least partly the result of genetics; we\u2019ve evolved to produce large amounts of dopamine and to feel motivated because of it. In that case, all of human civilization\u2014including our countless inventions and the fact that we\u2019re found all over Earth\u2014is arguably part of what biologist Richard Dawkins (The Selfish Gene<\/em><\/a>) calls the extended phenotype<\/a>. \u201cPhenotype\u201d typically means all of an individual\u2019s physical traits, such as height and hair color. However, Dawkins extends the definition of phenotype to include the ways an individual affects the world. Since our genes drive us to discover, invent, and produce, Dawkins might argue that everything we create is part of our phenotype.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, some experts say that human urges have also had terrible consequences for the planet\u2014for instance, pollution, overuse of resources, and global climate change. Therefore, if we don\u2019t find the right balance between \u201cwhat if\u201d and \u201cwhat is,\u201d the same dopamine-driven habits that kept our ancient ancestors alive could end up wiping us out. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat Chemical Motivates Us?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u2018What If\u2019 Versus \u2018What Is\u2019<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Dopamine\u2019s Counterparts: The \u2018What Is\u2019 Chemicals <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Happiness Requires Both \u2018What If\u2019 and \u2018What Is\u2019 Chemicals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ve Evolved to Neglect \u2018What Is\u2019<\/h3>\n\n\n\n