What effect does dopamine have on motivation and craving?

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Dopamine is often described as the agent primarily responsible for motivation, pleasure, and craving. These claims cannot be rejected. However, theories posit that there have been necessary modifications in the understanding of functioning of dopaminergic system. For example, scientists have increasingly emphasized that dopamine is really more than “reward” –maybe it is better to say, it’s something completely different. Quite recently one of the leading theorists of dopaminergic activity proposed a new and simple explanation of how dopamine works, which basically says the following: Do not touch that!... Want crops or they've won!

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In an age of indulgence, easy access to pleasure (dopamine) cripples motivation to pursue meaningful adventures. If you can associate reward with the journey, rather than the destination, motivation is infinite. If you want to help create more insightful videos like this, please consider supporting After Skool on Patreon. Thank you! https://www.patreon.com/AfterSkool
by (100 points)
Powerful
by (100 points)
So people get used to or addicted to dopamine,  but if you do stuff to get more dopamine then you will go more things, whatever they are,  how cool is that?
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did we arrive at such a low point where people arent happy because some are against drugs?
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I'm for freedom and the consequences of doing anything.
by (100 points)
Please run your on-screen text through spell checkers. Mistakes can be quite distracting.
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by (8.0k points)
A close mentor once told me: "In life, you will experience pain, the pain of discipline or the pain of regret, it's your choice."
by (100 points)
Excellent quote. Thank you for sharing.
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Wise mentor you had!
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Quote from Jim Rohn
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The pain of discipline is finite the latter is infinite
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It may not be our choice
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by (8.0k points)
"Addiction is a progressive narrowing of things that bring you pleasure"..... A very good and useful statement
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by (8.0k points)
This should be taught in school. This is literally life saving in an era of absolute overstimulation. Incredible video. Best of fortune to you‼️
by (100 points)
Don't play dumb. Capitalists.
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%
by (100 points)
Really, what school should teach this nonsense. These kids can't even do basic math. There's a thousand things that need to be taught before this crap.
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​@@tommac21 Tf you mean this is nonsense?
by (100 points)
In school, you are not taught what can help you live your best life. It’s all about creating a drone.
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by (8.0k points)
This has changed my life. He was so right about knowledge of knowledge — being aware of how one’s indulgence in overstimulation is responsible for their motivation and mood allows for simple intervention. Andrew sharing his message is saving the human race
by (100 points)
Really? And just, where is this human race that he is saving?  How can you tell? Where is the human race getting better solely because of this guy who is wrong 70^% of the time?
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by (8.0k points)
Every day I tell myself: What you do today is important, because you are exchanging a day of your life for it.
by (100 points)
Holy shit. Words to live by. I'm going to frame this quote. God speed man, wherever you are.
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Mr. Big Naturals is right
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That's awesome!
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Damn
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Damnn
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by (8.0k points)
I miss the year 2000. I was a freshly graduated millennial with hope for my future and ignorance that comes from just being young and new to adulthood. I had a VCR and a radio and speakers I was so proud to have hooked up to it all by myself. I popped in a VHS tape and just let it play in the background while I ACTUALLY DID THINGS LIKE CLEAN, COOK, THINK! The Internet was not a thing, cell phones to me came 4 years later, I had no distractions except the interesting and challenging but actually REAL life I would endure and learn from then later come to miss so badly because even though it was hard, it was productive in it's own way unlike my YouTube cell phone internet life today.
by (100 points)
You can still live that life, friend. It all has an OFF switch.
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by (8.0k points)
Discipline is the greatest form of self love. You need to stop deceiving yourself to get better
by (100 points)
Amen
by (100 points)
2 years later reading this and it just struck me. So beautifully said.
by (100 points)
Yes
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Thank you. I needed to hear this.
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by (8.0k points)
The fact that nobody talks about the book Dopamine Enigma Unveiled, speaks volumes about how people are stuck in a trance.
by (100 points)
By Jeff Piek ?
by (100 points)
bot comment
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by (8.0k points)
I LOVE this channel. I'm a counselor at a drug detox center and I play so many of these videos to get discussions going. Using this one tomorrow. You guys are a light onto the world. Thank you for what ya'll do.
by (100 points)
biased towards what exactly? Everything has bias, however it seems obvious. I don't see the need to point it out
by (100 points)
please help me me enlighten others, who cant see as clearly as you see.  What bias did you notice?  

I think his definition of the good life is not correct.  It's the crux of whole video and not proven...it's quite the definition.  I can't remember it anymore, but it's seemed wrong thinking back on it...so my brain shuts down and didn't watch any more.
by (100 points)
You don’t seem a day older 15 years old
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You should look into psychedelics like psilocybin or lsd to treat those people. May you can make some progress :)
by (100 points)
  it works for some but a lot of the time it’s risky and can make things worse
0 votes
by (8.0k points)
“Pain evokes Dopamine AFTER the pain is over” OMG  everything makes sense now !!! This was so informational ✨
by (100 points)
No pain, no gain.
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Really?
I should hit my head against the wall because
it will feel Sooooooo Good when l stop ???
(I don’t get it)
by (100 points)
I mean, technically yes. You'll be happier after the pain is gone.
by (100 points)
S&M is a thing lolz, but seriously say you start working out regularly, you'll overall feel better so small amount of effort and pain for allot of confidence, self worth, pride, energy.  it's like when i quit drinks and just drink water fruit actually taste good now, before was so accustomed to such a high amount of sugar a orange was bitter different perspective.
by (100 points)
nah i rather have a trust fund and never work just talk with friends
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​@@infinitegod461work huh
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pain for growth, not destroy your life xD
The pain of working out your legs to your limit, not till your bones break, to your limit, and you shall receive your gain.
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Maybe because you've hit your head on the wall too many times? ​@@chascook352
by (100 points)
Everything is on a spectrum with its seemingly opposite. It's duality. Pain and pleasure are like the sun and the moon, you can't have one without calling out the other eventually. All is about establishing a healthy balance. Then happiness naturally flows.
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by (8.0k points)
5:00 Dopamine itself is NOT the Reward, it's the BUILD-UP to the Reward
5:28 the problem is NOT pleasures,
the problem is that pleasure experienced without prior requirement for pursuit is terrible for us.

6:37 Addiction is a Progressive Narrowing of the things that bring you pleasure [...]
but a good life we could say is
a Progressive Expansion of the things that bring you pleasure and even better a good life is a  
progressive expansion of the things that bring you
pleasure and includes pleasure through motivation and hard work and understanding
this pain pleasure balance whereby if you experience pain and you can  
continue to be in that friction and exert effort the rewards are that much greater when they arrive  

10:02 PAIN evokes Dopamine release after the pain is over (Ice Bath 250% Dopamine release etc.)

just understanding the more friction and pain that you experience the greater  
the dopamine reward you will get later and that  serves as its own amplifier of the whole process  
of pursuing more dopamine so the the keys are to  pursue rewards but understand that

10:18 The Pursuit is actually the Reward
if you want to have repeated wins
then what you realize is your capacity to tap into dopamine as a motivator
not just seeking dopamine rewards that is infinite

- Dopamine is associated with motivation and craving, not just reward.
- Classic experiment with rats shows that dopamine is involved in motivation, not enjoyment of pleasures.
- Dopamine drives us to seek rewards beyond our immediate experiences.
- Constantly indulging in pleasures without the need for pursuit can lead to decreased motivation.
- Dopamine is not the reward itself but a driving force for seeking rewards.
- The proximity and availability of pleasures affect dopamine levels and motivation.
- Understanding the pain-pleasure balance can help regulate dopamine consumption.
- Self-regulation is crucial in the context of excessive dopamine consumption from various sources.
- Knowledge of neuroscience can help individuals intervene and control their dopamine-related behaviors.
- Pain can lead to an eventual increase in pleasure due to dopamine release.
- Pursuing rewards and experiencing the pursuit itself can lead to repeated wins and greater motivation.


//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- Dopamin ist mit Motivation und Verlangen verbunden, nicht nur mit Belohnung.
- Ein klassisches Experiment mit Ratten zeigt, dass Dopamin in die Motivation involviert ist, nicht in die Freude an Vergnügen.
- Dopamin treibt uns dazu an, Belohnungen zu suchen, die über unsere unmittelbaren Erfahrungen hinausgehen.
- Konstantes Nachgeben von Vergnügen ohne die Notwendigkeit der Suche kann zu verminderter Motivation führen.
- Dopamin ist nicht die Belohnung selbst, sondern eine treibende Kraft für die Suche nach Belohnungen.
- Die Nähe und Verfügbarkeit von Vergnügungen beeinflussen die Dopamin-Spiegel und die Motivation.
- Das Verständnis des Schmerz-Freude-Gleichgewichts kann dabei helfen, den Dopamin-Konsum zu regulieren.
- Selbstregulation ist entscheidend im Kontext des übermäßigen Dopamin-Konsums aus verschiedenen Quellen.
- Wissen über Neurowissenschaften kann Einzelpersonen helfen, einzugreifen und ihr Verhalten in Bezug auf Dopamin zu kontrollieren.
- Schmerz kann zu einer späteren Steigerung des Vergnügens führen, da Dopamin freigesetzt wird.
- Die Verfolgung von Belohnungen und das Erleben dieser Verfolgung an sich können zu wiederholten Erfolgen und größerer Motivation führen.

5:00 Dopamin selbst ist NICHT die Belohnung, es ist der AUFBAU der Belohnung
5:28 Das Problem ist NICHT das Vergnügen,
das Problem ist, dass Vergnügen, das ohne die vorherige Notwendigkeit des Strebens erlebt wird, schrecklich für uns ist.

6:37 Sucht ist eine progressive Verengung der Dinge, die dir Freude bereiten [...]
aber ein gutes Leben, so könnte man sagen, ist
eine progressive Ausweitung der Dinge, die dir Vergnügen bereiten, und noch besser, ein gutes Leben ist eine  
eine progressive Ausweitung der Dinge, die dir Vergnügen bereiten
und beinhaltet Vergnügen durch Motivation, harte Arbeit und Verständnis
dieses Gleichgewicht zwischen Schmerz und Vergnügen, wobei man, wenn man Schmerz erfährt und  
Wenn Sie Schmerzen haben und diese Reibung aushalten und sich anstrengen, ist die Belohnung umso größer, wenn sie eintritt.  

10:02 SCHMERZ ruft eine Dopaminausschüttung hervor, nachdem der Schmerz vorbei ist (Eisbad 520% Dopaminausschüttung usw.)

Je mehr Reibung und Schmerz du erfährst, desto größer ist die  
Je mehr Reibung und Schmerz man erfährt, desto größer ist die Dopamin-Belohnung, die man später erhält, und das dient als Verstärker des gesamten Prozesses  
Das Streben nach mehr Dopamin ist also der Schlüssel, um Belohnungen zu verfolgen, aber zu verstehen, dass
10:18 Das Streben ist eigentlich die Belohnung
wenn Sie wiederholt gewinnen wollen
dann erkennen Sie Ihre Fähigkeit, Dopamin als Motivator anzuzapfen
nicht nur die Suche nach Dopamin-Belohnungen, die unendlich ist
by (100 points)
Well said, nice expansion on the video message.
by (100 points)
Only correction I can see is that the dopamine increase is by 250% and not 520%. Message stays the same though, so nice post.
by (100 points)
hey! thanks for your summary! did you understand why pleasure experienced without prior requirement for pursuit is terrible for us?

also, it's not clear to me what practical advice we can derive from this video. Spend more time putting effort into persuing long term goals, and spend less time engaging in pleasurable activities that require no or little effortful persuit to be experienced/ enjoyed (because the former activity in the long term has positive effects on dopamine that makes us more motivated)? What other practical advice can we derive from this video? is there any other practical adivice or was that it? it's a great peace of advice, but i'm just wondering if i missed anything.
by (100 points)
Did you check Anna Lembke's book „Dopamine Nation“? Maybe you find that answer you are looking for.
by (100 points)
thanks for your reply. I have not maybe ill check it out
by (100 points)
Thx for the summary, I like it
0 votes
by (8.0k points)
The fact that low dopamine (a cause of ADHD) impacts motivation and not pleasure makes why ADHD makes doing things such a struggle so much clearer.
0 votes
by (8.0k points)
“Dopamine is not the molecule of pleasure it’s the molecule of motivation, desire and pursuit. The molecule of drive, non infinite yet renewable resource” ~ Andrew Übermensch
by (100 points)
Really nice comment, though I believe it's not holistic enough. If you look at the actual comment of the YT channel, notice how dopamine is described. This antithesis can easily be understood by everyone when one takes into consideration the Ying to the yang. If ying=dopamine then yang=serotonin. One needs to learn to distinguish between those two and the feeling of happiness VS feeling of pleasure.
by (100 points)
wouldnt it be the other way around? that the calm yin stat is serotonin and the driving dopanine is the yang?
by (100 points)
Thank you, Sir. What an awesome, inspiring quote.
by (100 points)
What you just quoted doesn't logically add up to much. Kinda what pleasure is ?
by (100 points)
the quote makes plenty sense, you’re just not comprehending it.
by (100 points)
Niceeee! :3
by (100 points)
Nicceeeee!!! New After Skool, with one of my favourite scientists! :3
by (100 points)
ye ig ur right but he used the concept of ying and yang in general as an analogy
by (100 points)
Yes!
by (100 points)
​@@dorohe5286what he said is scientifically accurate
Anticipation creates dopamine
It's a very important molecule to keep you motivated and alert
It is what brought humanity this far
So use it to your advantage
0 votes
by (8.0k points)
As someone with ADHD and OCD taking medication, this illustration of Hubermann's excellent podcast was quite powerful. I actually learnt something about my years of "meh" motivation.
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by (8.0k points)
This is why I find fitness so good, after decades of not even considering it worth my effort; because I finally have to work for my dopamine. And now that I have that thing that makes me motivated, it becomes a lot easier to self regulate.
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by (8.0k points)
So grateful for this explanation. I've been that person with no motivation for a while now, getting worse in the past few years and at an all-time-low this past year. I was still looking at dopamine as a reward hit and not the pursuit of the reward. It really woke me up just knowing this difference and I feel excited to apply this knowledge and finally break myself out of this loop.
by (100 points)
Did it work?
0 votes
by (8.0k points)
"Addiction is a progressive narrowing of things that bring you pleasure" -

I spent some time homeless, not long just one long summer. And I can tell you it not always bad, but when its bad, its very bad,  but when its good, its soooo good. You can get so high on life from basic things like finding new socks, showering, earning a bit of money, eating a good meal.  Its funny how now when I eat a hearty meal its not the same as it was then, back then, I earned that fucking tuna pasta bake - I needed it to survive and I got it. It felt like I had fought a grizzly bear and won, I earned it and it was my prize. It would make my whole day and the feeling of being rewarded for my accomplishment (even though my accomplishment was sneaking into a University staff room and stealing red wine and then selling it).

I don't get the same feeling now, even if I haven't eaten all day, tuna pasta bake is to me just another meal. I am well off financially these days, I have tried oysters, and lobsters, and nothing will ever taste as good as that one lukewarm tuna pasta bake in Copenhagen in the summer of 2014. Basically if you aint got nothing, everything tastes good. If you have got it all, nothing tastes good.
by (100 points)
Being complacent, I agree  back then the taste of simple food, simple 3 in 1 mixed coffee, watching movies and tv programs on a box type tv, playing old games in a potato pc feels like heaven. But now I have improved all of that. Watching Netflix on a flat screen phone, playing modern games on modern gaming pc, eating the same upgraded food and drinking Starbucks coffee. All the pleasure of today seems meh. Maybe I'm just ungrateful, maybe because back then I was just a teen and ignorance is a bliss and now being a young adult is a burden and sad, I don't know. Back then I can't afford what I could afford today and I'm happier back in the day than today.
by (100 points)
That really hits home. Beautifully written, too. Thanks !
by (100 points)
Did you acquire a lot of wine, or other strong beverages during that  time?
by (100 points)
Yeah. I stole a lot of stuff. I feel bad about it, sure, but I feel good about making sales to strangers on the street. I even sold fleshlight, in a box, unused. I would say it was a good experience for me. Sometimes I talk about it and people get uppity, saying = "thats not something to be proud of." Well, sure, but these people have never been homeless abroad, no passport, not allowed to work - morality is of course relative.
by (100 points)
Amen
by (100 points)
Thanks for sharing your story! I gain a few insight with it.
by (100 points)
good story
by (100 points)
Well said. Felt that
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by (8.0k points)
this is exactly why when you actually start to get into a task that's hard you can keep going. its the motivation do start doing the thing that's hard.
by (100 points)
Not really. Hard task demotivates because you often get stuck on limits beyond you & get frustrated, it's like competing against someone better and failing everything or a bad teacher. Second place & failure is detrimental to growth. You start hating all tasks not only the hard one. The only task gratifying is one only a step beyond your actual level where you have a rational confidence of overcoming it and at least from time to time get any progress in it. The more you fail the more averse to this task you will be as opposite to winning & craving winning more and more. You get tolerance to failing only if you can measure your progress. Without it repeating the same action brings no join & becomes hopeless. Hopelessness is resignation and the worst heart killer. To a degree you may offset it with a mental attitude changing interpretation of event, conditioning yourself, explaining & preparing yourself for failure but it's rewriting of your original natural responses. It doesn't fundamentally change the reality and you eventually need that organic result, win, progress. You fundamentally live in the reality & better to be rooted in objective reality than dreaming or selfprogramming. Don't pull and don't push.
Starting a hard task requires zero expectations, state of no effort to explore the uncharted and be open to nonstandard solutions. Hard task is full of hidden traps, usually by applying all already known solutions & methods but not perfected ones. So you get lost on old tracks that usually do not fit harder problem with own solution. I would call tacking a hard task as a slow process of refining, deconstruction & reconstruction, exploring part after part and merging into one view, one new concept. Modern times since 1970 is all focused on rushing, applying a stronger brute force, doing faster, harder, multiplying old solution. Using a bigger hammer if smaller didn't work. Specialisation without understanding the actual goal. Instead of understanding basics perfectly first and building a custom tool precisely suitable for the current issue. Then you combine comfort of understanding any step you make while exploring uncharted territory or on journey to a new destination. From 0 to 1 in never from actual zero and has infinity of possibilities to get lost in between.
by (100 points)
Obviously many people commonly start multiple hard tasks (DIY, writing a book, learning a piano piece as a beginner etc...  Very common and perfectly normal to have unfinished 'projects')... and not finish them.  So what your saying doesn't hold water.
0 votes
by (8.0k points)
To the worthwhile person seeing this, your dream is not dead. Don’t allow the past and current pains and hurts stop and define you. You’re more than a conqueror. Rise up and put yourself together. Keep pushing your future depends on it. I wish you all the best in life ❤️.
by (100 points)
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Yes!
by (100 points)
Hey, Chancellor, have a delicious cold beer on me
by (100 points)
Legend
by (100 points)
Well, I’m probably not what you’d call a worthwhile person (in bold). But I would like to ask who TF are you to determine who is worthwhile or not? I have had many soldiers and employees who did not initially appear to be ‘worthwhile’, but with a little time and support, became stellar performers. So, fold that worthwhile nonsense up real small, and insert it into your oubliette!
by (100 points)
Thank you. Needed to hear this today. ❤
by (100 points)
Thank you.
by (100 points)
other words, he’s trying to say ‘to the person reading this, you are worthwhile’

Aka. EVERYONE is worthwhile. And I agree.
by (100 points)
Thanks!
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