But what about our feelings and emotions? Well, it turns out, our feelings and emotions are represented as a complex and continuously changing recipe of neurochemicals that our body produces and secretes at appropriate moments to our brain synapsis. The idea that our emotions can be thought of as combinations of neurochemicals “poured from a bottle” naturally seems a little unsettling, though.
“HAPPY" NEUROCHEMICALS
There are a range of different happy feelings that we humans aspire to. They are a result of "happy" or "motivational" neurochemicals that our body secretes, that affect our brain in particular ways. Examples of these substances are endorphins, dopamine, oxytocin and serotonin, among others. Endorphins cause euphoria and mask pain, dopamine craves novelty, excitement & achievement and spurs us to action, and serotonin makes us "feel on top" and may regulate our emotions (the lack of which may cause depression), while oxytocin can increase trust, empathy, generosity and human bonding. The effect of these substances on mood is complicated and depends on the situation. For example, oxytocin can also increase feelings of envy and schadenfreude, which are seen as negative emotions. It also has a role in sexual activity and during childbirth, so while these substances have a documented affect on our mood, they may also perform other physical functions as well.
Certain drugs can enhance the way these substances work, or can trigger more of these substances to be secreted in the brain. Some neurochemicals can be independentaly produced and then intravenously or intranasally injected into the body and thus add to the level of neurochemicals already produced by the body—an example being oxytocin. Of course, misuse of such drugs or substances can result in addiction, with bad consequences. Similarly, exposure to pornography or to unlimited amounts of high-calorie junk food or to any other activity that results in lots of these neurochemicals (such as dopamine) being emitted (or their effects enhanced) can likewise result in addiction, again with serious consequences. This article explains the effects of dopamine and oxytocin on sex and romance, and why “moderation” can actually be a good thing.
These “happy” neurochemicals are not the only substances that get secreted at appropriate times in our body. For instance, our body also produces other natural substances that stimulate us, give us extraordinary strength and speed, and in some cases put us in a “fight or flight” mode. These stress hormones include corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), cortisol, and norepinephine (noradrenaline), among others. The long-term activation of the stress-response system — and the subsequent overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones — can disrupt almost all your body's processes. This puts you at increased risk of numerous health problems, including heart desease, sleep problems, digestive problems, depression, obesity, memory impairment, eczema, etc.
Yes, there is a dark side to all this--addiction. Our brain's "happiness receptors" just aren't designed to be stimulated all the time. Instead, what results is a vicious cycle of craving, over-stimulation, consequent further de-sensitization of the dopamine receptors, followed by a let-down and a subsequent craving for even more prolonged, intense or novel experiences in order to get the same level of stimulation. In the process, our brain also "re-wires itself" to habitualize the behavior and make it even more difficult to resist the temptation.
The brain mechanisms that utilize both our "happiness" and "stress" neurochemicals can become overworked and fail to do their job properly, resulting in depression, mania and anxiety. (Depression may result, for instance, when our efforts to pursue future perceived happiness instead stress us out, and yet this causes us to work at it all the harder, to no avail.) Apathy is a common side affect of deseases such as Parkinsons that damage dopamine-producing neurons. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms in patients with encephalitis also point to damage in the dopamine neurocircuitry in the brain caused by an infection. It becomes clear, then, that sustained mental health requires an intricate, exquisitely-balanced interplay of all these physical mechanisms, each of which must not be overworked, infected, diseased or genetically defective.
To summarize: substances produced and secreted in our bodies for particular purposes and at particular, limited time intervals (a) motivate us to exert energy and to do things, (b) give emotional meaning and reward to our experiences, (c) focus our energy when immediate action is required, and (d) greatly enhance our ability to survive and procreate.
CONCLUSIONS:
So is there a point to all of this? I'm not sure. Even though the pursuit of pleasure is “wired into us”, perhaps it's nevertheless unhealthy and abnormal to be too happy or sad, at least for an extended period of time. You can't buy happiness, as they say. Somehow, we already knew that the poor family living in that mud hut in Peru was likely to be just as happy as we.
However, there must be a fairly wide margin between how happy or miserable we can be, on average. Following self centered happiness objectives or even attempting to "self-administer" happiness is a self-defeating--if not outright dangerous--effort, in light of how our brain works. We tend to do poorly when it comes to making ourselves happy. Perhaps lasting happiness can only be experienced as a side effect of how we see the world, of our own labor, and most of all, as an indirect result of making other people happy--which is something we DO know how to do pretty well. (But we already knew that, too.)
But how important is happiness, really? I've slowly learned that happiness and/or sadness is simply a condition we're put in (often by ourselves)--and it doesn't necessarily define our character or give our life meaning. What's in my brain--my understanding of the the world, of life, of human experience, even the degree of respect I have for myself and my endeavors--has far more meaning to me--and it far transcends anything that happiness alone could give. We see people often who are so engaged in noble pursuits that the idea of chasing happiness itself is to them a silly concept, hardly better than pursuing misery. (I'm convinced there are even more people who stupidly pursue misery than happiness.) Happiness and sadness are merely part of the human condition and are best seen as having little significance compared to other, more meaningful things. Some, like John Stuart Mill, have argued that pleasure and satisfaction are ultimately the result of a clear conscience and the sense that one is a good person.
Is this all there is to it, though? I'm not so sure. I believe in the concept of grace. Grace is something that makes it easy for us to do good, makes us want to do things we know are good, even if they might otherwise strike us as drudgery, distasteful, humiliating, boring, overly challenging, or otherwise not in our normal human definition of pleasurable. It is analogous, perhaps, to gladly doing something that honors the memory of a loved one, or someone we have a high regard for and want to emulate. A work of love that goes beyond mere duty.
I can't think of anything else "profound" to say, so I'll quit here. (at last)
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