I watched a really cool video of Dr. Robert Lustig talking about how industry has led to depression, chronic disease, and addiction. The thing that stuck out most to me was the difference between short-lived pleasure and long-term contentment and how they affect each other.

1. Pleasure is dopamine.

Pleasure can come from many sources-- drugs, sugar, social media, sex, coffee, cell phones, video games, shopping, etc.

Pleasure releases dopamine, which "excites" the next neuron, speeding it up. When neurons are "excited" too much too frequently, they die off. So in order to prevent too much die off, our brains reduce the number of receptors available to be stimulated. This means to get the same rush, you have to take a bigger "hit" each time. This is tolerance. When the neurons start to die, that is addiction.

2. Contentment is serotonin.

On the other hand, serotonin inhibits receptors. This means that it binds to the receptor but doesn’t activate it any further, which slows the neurons down and leads to contentment.

However, dopamine down-regulates serotonin. So the more pleasure you pursue, the harder it will be to reach contentment.

3. Pleasure says "this feels good, I want more."

Pleasure leads to desire for more. You are constantly trying to fill up but are always left feeling empty. American economy runs on this, always trying to sell you happiness. But they end up selling you pleasure, which actually decreases your long-term happiness. In many cases, the things that give us pleasure lead to depression, addiction, and chronic disease.

4. Contentment says "this feels good, I don't want or need anymore."

Pleasure is taking, contentment is giving. Everything that releases serotonin are things that are not for sell, and everyone has access. They are the 4 C's and I will write about them in my next article :)