Tiffany 12 - Dopamine
Dopamine: a term we are probably all relatively familiar with. It is a type of neurotransmitter and plays a huge role in producing a sense of pleasure. It is typically released by rewarding experiences, activating a reward system in our brains, often leading to addiction. However, dopamine is surprisingly also the primary neurochemical behind the reward of power.
Power is intoxicating, especially when it is unchecked. Most people already in a position of power will do anything to preserve that position, keeping them in an addictive cycle of wanting more. When deprived of power, the brain "produces cravings at the cellular level that generate strong behavioural opposition to giving it up." Simply put, power is an addiction, and the dopamine in our brains can drive us to always seek more, never truly satisfied with what we have.
It is no doubt that our brains are "neurochemically pre-programmed to seek pleasure," and we all are driven by the pleasure dopamine provides. We can see this in political leaders in society from history and today, who would do anything to preserve their power and gain more. Dopamine also affects us on a day-to-day basis, like talking to friends or playing video games instead of doing homework because we are chasing that short burst of pleasure. Dopamine has a lot of power over us, and it can be a hard cycle to break out of, but we should all to a healthy extent know what is right for us and when needed demonstrate self-control.
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Hey Tiffany! It is certainly interesting that dopamine is the way that our brain chooses to reward us to exert power. Maybe it does tell us something about how humans are wired to want power more: because it is literally addicting. In a pursuit to keep themselves happy and the dopamine running, people in power slowly become corrupt in order to keep that power, which is certainly a very clinical way of looking at human power hunger. Maybe people being power hungry can really be put down to the simple fact that fulfilling this greed at least makes them happy, albeit temporarily.
ReplyDeleteHey Tiffany! The brain is a mysterious thing and there’s a lot about it we don’t completely know or understand. While I’m not too familiar with the nature of dopamine, I have been informed of its effects in Health this year. The sudden rush that dopamine provides results in most alcoholic and drug addictions; even procrastination is partially influenced by the pleasure dopamine injects into our system. Falling victim to the hands of something that we can’t really regulate, choosing to pursue the trail of pleasure dopamine provides seems almost inevitable. However, at the end of the day, it is our responsibility to reject these short bursts of pleasure and be responsible. Choosing to prolong working on homework and taking drugs is only a scenario in which we forcefully push ourselves into losing whatever control we have on our conscious mind and bodies. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHey Tiffany, the extent of control that this dopamine holds over our daily activities and choices is an extent I am sometimes truly afraid of. As the driving factor for our personal desire and goal, we unknowingly work everyday just to feel this specific release of chemical. Because so, this chemical really should both be revered and feared. However, we still cannot have too much of this chemical; if we do, it will soon lead to our brain adapting to this desire, and merely driving for more release of this chemical. Because so, it should really be kept with moderation and care.
ReplyDeleteHi Tiffany! The rushes we get from dopamine really can be intoxicating and addictive, letting us fall into a cycle of behavior. It is interesting to think of how we are rewarded with dopamine whenever we exert power, as we are technically wired to receive this pleasure when in a position of power. I never really thought of what exactly occurs in our bodies and minds when thinking of power, but it definitely helps explain how people can easily get corrupted by power. For this temporary rush, people in power keep exerting influence to reinforce this cycle and feel more happiness. I also never really thought about how the rewards we get from procrastination and power are essentially the same. It is hard for us to stay in control of our own minds, but we should really keep our desires and indulgences in check.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how people with different dopamine receptors in their brains react to day-to-day changes. Is there a particular form of person whose dopamine receptors make them more effective? I do think that dopamine is a large aspect of mental well-being. There are people who turn to other means to fulfill their need for this chemical, do their minds process dopamine differently? I know we cannot particularly control our dopamine receptors but I do think there would be a better way to formulate our day-to-day life if we learned to optimize our brain chemicals.
ReplyDeleteTiffany, this blog post highlights a very unique topic about us. I definitely think the rushes of dopamine we get drive many of us to continue many habits and activities. It is crazy to learn that the rush of dopamine we recieve drives us to exhibit and gain more power. I guess, in a way, dopamine is a way to explain why humans when they get a feel for a small amount of power they crave more due to the rush of dopamine. However, this sense of power we receive from dopamine can be a good and a bad thing. It can be a good thing in the sense that it drives you to do something you may not enjoy but at the end it helps you become a better person such as working out. However, it can also be a bad thing because that rush you get can make you do things that may be bad for you and can stop you from doing anything other than that one thing that gives you power and a rush of dopamine. This really makes you question whether dopamine is a good or a bad thing for us. Thank you for writing this thought provoking blog.
ReplyDeleteHi Tiffany! I definitely agree that dopamine is such a powerful thing that has a huge amount of control over people’s actions. A good example that I can think of to show this claim is drugs. When people smoke, the nicotine increases their dopamine level and makes people feel pleasurable. However, once someone smokes on a daily basis and their brain adapts to the high dopamine level, nothing else gives them any satisfaction anymore. This is the reason why it is so difficult for some people to quit smoking and some people would go to extreme measures to get their hands on drugs. As you mentioned, being in a position of power releases dopamine and many people will go through anything to maintain their power. Examples of this phenomenon fill our past and present.
ReplyDeleteHey Tiffany, the power the intoxicating nature of dopamine has over us really terrifies me, especially when it comes to procrastination for me. Often I will have an important assignment due really soon, I will avoid it and watch tv instead; my desires often make me neglect the more logical action I should have taken which is to finish that homework first. Most of the time, if I face heavy consequences from a mistake I made, I would make sure to never repeat it again because that feeling is terrible, but even though I have faced many regrettable repercussions from procrastinating on my work, I still find myself going back into this harmful cycle of putting off important assignments. Looking at the bigger picture, seeing how hard it is for me to just get out of this cycle, it would be even more terrifying when this dopamine effect is in a scenario with influential people in our society. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Tiffany, it was very interesting to read about the power of dopamine from your blog. I never knew that it had such an effect on how satisfied we feel. You could say that it is the key to happiness. Although it gives us the feeling of happiness, there are people in our world that want more. I’d like to also point out that you can increase dopamine through depression medication. It is probably the reason why therapists prescribe the medication to those feeling depressed. Overall, your blog was very interesting!
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