Dopamine System
“Happiness consists in the absence of pain.” – Epicurus
Dopamine, Pain, and Self-Development: Why Less Pleasure Leads to Greater Satisfaction
Our brain is a product of evolution, shaped in a world of scarcity where survival was the highest priority. It is not designed to cope with the overstimulating, hedonistic modern world in which pleasure is constantly available. As Dr. Anna Lembke compellingly explains in her book Dopamine Nation, pleasure and pain are two sides of the same coin. They are meant to remain in balance. This principle has kept us alive for thousands of years.
Pleasure motivates us to engage in essential survival behaviors such as eating, drinking, and reproduction. Pain, on the other hand, protects us from danger, injury, and death. Both are essential, but they do not act in isolation. When we indulge in a pleasurable stimulus, the brain releases dopamine. Yet every pleasure is followed by a “pain aftershock”: feelings of emptiness, restlessness, or irritability. Conversely, when we deliberately expose ourselves to pain or discomfort (through exercise, fasting, or cold exposure for example) we first experience a negative stimulus, but it is followed by a “pleasure aftershock”: calmness, satisfaction, and clarity.
The brain constantly strives for balance also known as homeostasis. This self-regulating mechanism ensures that neither pleasure nor pain dominates for too long. But in today’s world, this balance is disrupted. We constantly seek gratification and consistently avoid discomfort. The result is an imbalance in the dopamine system.
Each time we chase pleasure, the brain’s “set point” rises. We become accustomed to high levels of stimulation and need more and more to feel the same satisfaction. Dopamine goes into overdrive. What once drove us to hunt and work now paralyzes us through overstimulation.
Food and drink are always available. Social media offers endless scrolling. Online shopping delivers instant gratification. Streaming and pornography promise unlimited entertainment and pleasure. Our brain is overwhelmed: too many rewards, too little effort.
The consequences are serious: lack of focus, declining motivation, constant distraction, reduced self-confidence, and a general sense of dissatisfaction.
The solution is not to reject all pleasure, but to consciously integrate moderate discomfort into our daily lives. Self-development means not treating comfort as the default, but as an exception. Exercise, cold exposure, discipline. These are tools to restore inner balance.
This is Mind-Craft: the art of consciously integrating challenges, discomfort, and pain into everyday life to cultivate clarity, strength, and satisfaction.