Dopamine: Driving Your Brain into the Future | Daniel Z. Lieberman | TEDxWilmingtonWomen
Summary
TLDRThis script delves into the brain's dichotomy of 'here-and-now' and future-oriented behaviors, governed by different chemical responses. It explains how dopamine, associated with desire and motivation, drives us towards future goals but doesn't provide satisfaction. The narrative contrasts dopamine's role in achieving success, like Buzz Aldrin's moonwalk, with the need to engage 'here-and-now' circuits for contentment. It underscores the importance of balancing our pursuit of future rewards with the appreciation of present achievements.
Takeaways
- 🧠 The brain can be both cooperative and uncooperative, affecting our ability to perform tasks or get started on projects.
- 👀 Looking down represents the peri-personal space, which includes things within arm's reach that we own and control.
- 👆 Looking up represents the extra-personal space, which includes things outside our immediate control and often requires effort to obtain.
- 💡 Dopamine is the key brain chemical associated with the extra-personal space, future goals, and abstract ideas.
- 🌟 Dopamine is initially linked to pleasure and reward, but further research shows it's more about desire, motivation, and novelty.
- 🍰 Dopamine is activated by unexpected rewards, which is why it's sometimes called the 'reward prediction error' molecule.
- 🔄 The brain processes the here-and-now with chemicals that deal with immediate sensory experiences, emotions, and social interactions.
- 🚀 Dopamine can drive us to achieve great things, but it's not sufficient for finding satisfaction or happiness in what we've achieved.
- 🔄 The pursuit of novelty and the dopamine response can lead to a cycle of constant seeking, which may not bring lasting fulfillment.
- 🌈 To find satisfaction, it's necessary to shift from dopamine-driven circuits to here-and-now circuits that allow us to appreciate and celebrate our achievements.
Q & A
What is the distinction between looking up and looking down according to the script?
-Looking down refers to the peri personal space, which is within arm's reach and typically contains things you own and control. Looking up refers to the extra personal space, which is outside your arm's reach and involves things that require effort to obtain and are associated with future interactions.
What are the 'here-and-now' brain chemicals, and what do they process?
-The 'here-and-now' brain chemicals process sensory experiences, emotions, and social interactions that are happening in the present moment.
How does dopamine differ from the other 'here-and-now' brain chemicals?
-Dopamine is different as it coordinates thoughts related to the extra personal space, future, imaginary, abstract, and unreal ideas. It is associated with desire, motivation, and hard work, unlike the immediate processing of the 'here-and-now' chemicals.
Why did evolution create two different pathways for processing resources we have and don't have?
-Evolution created these pathways because for our ancestors, having resources like food and water was crucial for survival, and the difference between having and not having could mean the difference between life and death.
What is the significance of the dopamine response in the context of the study involving rats and food pellets?
-The dopamine response in the rat study signifies that dopamine is not a molecule of pleasure but of novelty. It is triggered by unexpected rewards, indicating a 'reward prediction error' when there is a discrepancy between expected and actual rewards.
What is the role of dopamine in the brain according to the script?
-Dopamine's role in the brain is to maximize future resources by driving desire, motivation, and hard work towards goals. It is involved in behaviors that increase evolutionary success, such as obtaining food, winning competitions, and achieving goals.
How does the script explain the addictive nature of dopamine?
-The script explains that dopamine is associated with desire and motivation, which can lead to addiction. It is initially rewarding, but as expectations rise, the dopamine response decreases, leading individuals to constantly chase new rewards to recapture the initial high.
What is the 'reward prediction error' mentioned in the script?
-The 'reward prediction error' refers to the scientific term for the dopamine response when there is a discrepancy between what is expected and what actually occurs regarding rewards. This error triggers a dopamine release, which is linked to the novelty of rewards.
How does the script suggest we can achieve satisfaction from the things we have?
-The script suggests that to achieve satisfaction from what we have, we need to shift from our dopamine circuits to our 'here-and-now' circuits, which involve a more touchy-feely experience and focus on the present moment.
What is the potential downside of an overactive dopamine system as illustrated by the script?
-An overactive dopamine system can lead to a constant pursuit of new rewards and a lack of satisfaction with current achievements. It can also result in negative behaviors such as addiction, as illustrated by the example of Buzz Aldrin, who experienced difficulties after his historic moonwalk due to an imbalance in his dopamine-driven pursuits.
How does the script relate dopamine to the concept of success and achievement?
-The script relates dopamine to success and achievement by highlighting its role in driving motivation and perseverance towards goals. However, it also cautions that dopamine alone cannot provide long-term satisfaction and that a balance with 'here-and-now' experiences is necessary for true fulfillment.
Outlines
🧠 Understanding the Brain's Dual Nature
The first paragraph introduces the brain as a complex organ that can be both cooperative and uncooperative. It highlights how the brain can easily perform routine tasks but struggles with initiating new projects or gets stuck in negative thought patterns. The speaker promises to reveal a secret about how the brain works, starting with the concept of 'up' and 'down'. The brain's interaction with the peri-personal space (immediate surroundings within arm's reach) and extra-personal space (beyond arm's reach) is discussed, explaining that the former involves things we own and control, while the latter involves effort and future planning. The paragraph concludes by introducing dopamine as the key brain chemical involved in future-oriented thinking and motivation.
🚀 Dopamine: The Molecule of Desire and Novelty
The second paragraph delves into the role of dopamine, initially known as the 'pleasure molecule' due to its association with euphoria and reward. The speaker explains that dopamine is actually linked to novelty and unexpected rewards, not just pleasure. Using examples from scientific studies, including one where rats were given food pellets, it's shown that dopamine activity decreases when rewards become predictable. The concept of 'reward prediction error' is introduced, suggesting that dopamine is released when there's a positive discrepancy between expected and actual rewards. The paragraph also touches on how dopamine's role in desire and motivation can lead to addiction and the pursuit of new experiences, which can be both rewarding and potentially destructive.
🌕 The Pursuit of Dopamine and the Need for Satisfaction
The third paragraph discusses the potential downsides of relying too heavily on dopamine for motivation and the pursuit of new experiences. It uses the example of Buzz Aldrin, one of the first men to walk on the moon, to illustrate how an excess of dopamine can lead to a constant desire for more, even after achieving significant life goals. The paragraph suggests that while dopamine can drive us to achieve great things, it's also important to be able to switch to 'here and now' circuits to find satisfaction and celebrate achievements. It emphasizes the need for balance between the pursuit of future rewards and the appreciation of present moments, concluding with a call to spend time in the present and enjoy life's successes.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Brain
💡Peri Personal Space
💡Extra Personal Space
💡Dopamine
💡Here-and-Now Brain Chemicals
💡Appetitive Behaviors
💡Consummatory Behaviors
💡Reward Prediction Error
💡Novelty
💡Satisfaction
💡Present Moment
Highlights
The brain can be both cooperative and uncooperative, affecting our actions and thoughts.
Understanding the brain is the first step to taming it and utilizing it effectively.
The distinction between 'up' and 'down' is a simple yet significant concept in understanding brain function.
Looking down represents the peri personal space, which includes things within arm's reach and under our control.
Looking up represents the extra personal space, which involves things outside our immediate control and requires effort.
The brain processes the peri personal space with 'here-and-now' chemicals, linked to present moment experiences.
Dopamine is the key brain chemical for processing the extra personal space, future desires, and abstract ideas.
Evolution created separate pathways for resources we have and those we don't, crucial for survival.
Consuming behaviors are associated with resources we have, leading to feelings of fulfillment and satisfaction.
Appetitive behaviors are linked to resources we desire but don't have, involving desire, motivation, and hard work.
Sensory experiences, emotions, and social interactions are processed in the here-and-now by the brain.
Dopamine is initially associated with pleasure and reward, but further research reveals a more complex role.
Dopamine is actually the molecule of novelty, responding to unexpected rewards rather than pleasure alone.
The dopamine response decreases when rewards become expected, as seen in experiments with rats and food pellets.
Dopamine's role is to maximize future resources, not to provide satisfaction, which comes from engaging with the present.
The pursuit of novelty and the disappearance of dopamine once a desire is fulfilled can lead to a constant chase for new experiences.
Dopamine can be both a driving force for achievement and a potential source of addiction and dissatisfaction.
To find satisfaction in what we have, we need to shift from dopamine circuits to here-and-now circuits.
The story of Buzz Aldrin illustrates the power and potential pitfalls of a dopamine-driven life.
Celebrating success and connecting with others in the present moment is crucial after achieving goals driven by dopamine.
Transcripts
your brains a funny thing sometimes it
does what you want it to do such as
composing email or find something to eat
in the refrigerator other times it's
uncooperative and obstinate refusing to
get started on that important new
project or getting stuck and ruminating
all day long on some negative thought
that makes you feel unhappy your brain
is brilliant and rebellious it can be
your best friend and sometimes your
worst enemy the first step in taming
this beast and getting out of it all
that you can is to understand it and
today I'm going to tell you an important
secret about how the brain works and
oddly enough it starts with the
seemingly simple distinction between up
and down so just for a moment let me ask
you to look down and what do you see
lise your hands may be a pen cup of
coffee possibly a cellphone when you
look down you're looking to what's
called the peri personal space that's a
space around you that's within arm's
reach things are within the peri
personal space are typically things you
own and control you use them enjoy them
sometimes consume them when you look up
on the other hand you're looking out
into the extra personal space the world
that's outside your arm's reach if you
want or need something in the extra
personal space it's going to take effort
to get it give me a small amount of
effort walking across the room to pick
up a book off a table or it could be
more walking you the store to buy a bag
of peaches or planning a trip around the
world interacting with things in the
extra personal space takes place in the
future because those things aren't here
they're imaginary they're unreal they're
abstract ideas when our brain processes
things in the peri personal space uses a
handful of chemicals that might be
called the here-and-now brain chemicals
because they process things that are
right here in the present moment when we
look out into the extra personal space
into the future the imaginary the
abstract and unreal our thoughts are
coordinate
by one single brain chemical and that's
dopamine it's the chemical of what you
desire now that raises a question why is
it that evolution created these two very
different pathways once what we have and
another for what we don't and the answer
is pretty straightforward to our
evolutionary ancestors the familiar
saying either you have or you don't
could very easily become if you have it
or you're dead for a survival point of
view and your brain is a highly tuned
survival machine there's a fundamental
difference between resources you have
resources such as food water
reproductive partners and those that you
don't and sometimes that difference was
the difference between life and death
now when we interact with things that we
have we engage in consumed Ettore
behaviors and that of course we refer to
consuming eating and drinking but also
refers to consummation what happens at
the end when we reach our goal the
feeling of fulfillment and satisfaction
that we've earned when we interact with
things that we don't have we engage in
appetitive behaviors desire motivation
and hard work so let's start out by
taking a look at some of the
here-and-now brain chemicals that you
may be familiar with what gets processed
in the here and now
well sensory experiences we see here
taste touch smell right here in the
present moment and emotions are the same
we feel joy pleasure and sadness right
here in the present the same is true
with social interactions we experience
empathy warmth and just the joy of being
with people we love in the present
that's the here and now's what about
dopamine what do we know about dopamine
much of the early research that was done
on dopamine was done by addiction
researchers and that's because this is
the brain chemical of desire and
motivation and people who are addicted
are desiring and are motivated to get
toxic chemicals that are destroying
their lives so in this study the
scientists
injected volunteers with intravenous
cocaine and then measured the activity
of a structure in their brain called the
striatum it's a part of the brain that's
rich in dopamine activity red and yellow
represent high levels of activity and
blue and green represent lower levels of
activity what you can see is that
cocaine is a powerful stimulator of
dopamine a few minutes after the drug is
injected levels spike way up and then as
the body clears the drug they come down
now the scientists were not only
interested in the objective measurement
of brain activity they also wanted to
know about what their research
volunteers were feeling they wanted to
know about the subjective experience as
they were having so at each point in
time they asked them to rate the level
of euphoria they were experiencing and
that's represented by the gray bars to
the right of each scan what immediately
jumps out at you is this very tight very
close relationship between dopamine
activity and the level of euphoria based
on this study and others like it the
pathway that dopamine cells take through
the brain was named the reward pathway
the reward pathway and dopamine was
christened the pleasure molecule and
this makes a lot of sense
dopamine rewards us when we do things
that make our evolutionary success a
little bit more secure when we get food
when we're hungry when we win a
competition score the goal in the soccer
game all of these things makes our
future a little bit more interesting and
perhaps a little bit more secure and if
you've heard of dopamine as many of you
have this is probably the context in
which you've heard of it as the pleasure
molecule and as I said it makes a lot of
sense there's only one problem and that
is that it's wrong
it turns out it's a little bit more
complex and a lot more powerful
so subsequent researchers reasoned it's
very unlikely this circuit evolved to
respond to cocaine it's a lot more
likely involved to respond to natural
rewards such as food so they designed an
experiment in which they dropped pellets
of food into a rats cage and then
measured the dopamine response in its
brain on this graph we see a few seconds
of time and each dot represents an
individual dopamine cell in the rat's
brain becoming activated the bars along
the top represent the total number of
dopamine cells that are active at each
point in time all right so we got the
vertical line we drop a pellet of food
into the rats cage and a moment later we
get a spike in dopamine firing so far so
good the pleasure molecule but look what
happens next look what happens if day
after day we continue to drop pellets in
the rats cage at the same times every
day we train the rat to expect the
reward and the dopamine signal
disappears now the rat is devouring the
pellet of food with just as much
apparent pleasure as ever but the
dopamine response is gone why the answer
is that dopamine is not the molecule of
pleasure dopamine is the molecule of
novelty only unexpected rewards trigger
dopamine the scientific term for this is
reward prediction error as we go through
life we're constantly making predictions
about what the future holds particularly
with regard to rewards you open up your
wallet expecting to see $40 and there's
$60 in there you just made an error with
your reward prediction and you get a
little spray of dopamine let me give you
another example you're walking down the
street on the way to work you've walked
down the street dozens of times before
nothing has changed and your dopamine
system
is at rest all of a sudden you realize a
brand new bakery has just opened up bang
dopamine your future just got a little
bit more interesting so you walked in
order croissant cup of coffee delicious
you decide that from now on you're going
to come here every day for breakfast and
then what happens two weeks later you're
sitting in the bakery chewing on your
croissant nothing
your thoughts are elsewhere all the
enthusiasm the excitement that was first
there is now completely gone we can
express this through a simple
mathematical formula dopamine release
equals the actual reward minus the
expected reward when the bakery was a
surprise your dopamine system responded
fully as expectation came up dopamine
went down and it's not just bakeries and
croissants this happens with getting a
raise getting a promotion buying a
big-screen TV even falling in love and
that stinks because dopamine feels so
good we all particularly love dopamine
we like new things we like to think
about the future we love ideas but as
soon as what we hope for becomes what we
have dopamine disappears does that mean
that we are destined to forever chase
things and as soon as we catch them they
slip through our hands not exactly
but if we want to get satisfaction from
the things that we have we've got to
shift down we've got to come out of our
dopamine circuits into our here in now
circuits and they feel different it's a
little bit more of a touchy-feely
experience that is not always
comfortable for people who love dopamine
but dopamine can't give you satisfaction
any more than a hammer can turn a screw
dopamine can only say more
that's what dopamine is for to maximize
future resources whether it is the
passion patience perseverance and hard
work necessary for scientific discovery
buying a new home or starting a new
career dopamine is there to deliver
dopamine changes the world it makes the
world a better place but if we're not
careful it can also destroy us on July
20th 1969 Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon
it took a whole lot of dopamine to get
him there but based on what we know
about his life it seems like he had a
lot of it so much in fact that it may
have crowded out pretty much everything
else when he returned to Earth a
reporter asked him what did it feel like
to walk on the moon Buzz Aldrin replied
look we don't know we were feeling we
weren't feeling what were your emotions
as you walked on the surface of the Moon
fighter pilots don't have emotions he
told a group of admirers walking on the
moon was just something we did now we
should do something else but how do you
top walking on the moon if you're all
dopamine all the time that becomes a
very important question you might be
able to guess what happened next he
started drinking a lot and a short time
later he became an alcoholic he married
and divorced two women and eventually
things got so bad he was hospitalized on
a psychiatric inpatient unit he
recovered and he went on to do more
extraordinary things but for a period of
time that same chemical that lifted him
up into the heavens made his life a kind
of hell so if you want to do great
things
fire up your dopamine circuits desire
change look to the future motivate
yourself cross bridges and succeed but
when you get there you need to do
something else something that for many
of us is going to be just as difficult
need to turn off your dopamine circuits
let your hue now circuits have their way
and celebrate your success
connect with family and friends and if
only for a little while
remember to spend some time right here
in the present moment thank you
[Applause]
you
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