While the world experiences discrimination, contradictions, divisions, and conflicts, all of humanity seems to unite in one place; we have become a Dopamine Society! Dopamine is one of the neurotransmitters in our brain and is the hormone that gives us pleasure. The New World is a pleasure-oriented world, and this pleasure orientation continues to grow with advancements in technology. The world is developing, progressing, accelerating, and change is becoming inevitable moment by moment. However, due to a lack of awareness at the level of consciousness, we are unaware that our daily life choices and decisions—and therefore our entire way of living—are automatically built upon seeking pleasure. This means that our lives and our future are not shaped by our free will, as we believe, but by our automatic, pleasure-oriented choices. We are stuck in the subconscious programming created by the dopamine society.
Existentially, the human brain has two basic orientations, and this has been the case for thousands of years. The human genetic code holds two mechanisms: avoid pain and seek pleasure. By seeking pleasure, the brain releases the hormone dopamine, and we become ‘happy’ in the moment. We define the concept of happiness through momentary pleasures. But what happens when these fleeting tastes end? Can we feel satisfied? On the contrary, we enter a cycle where we are never and can never be satisfied, and in pursuit of happiness, we always want more—and we live in a reality where we know there is always more. We are never beautiful enough, young enough, fit enough, never enough of anything. The dopamine society constantly offers us more—and will continue to do so. Trying to overcome dissatisfaction through momentary happiness ends up leading us into deep unhappiness. Because that fleeting pleasure will never fully satisfy us. However, in order to avoid pain and not feel that dissatisfaction, we develop various coping mechanisms: overeating, excessive exercise, shopping, alcohol, substance or psychiatric drug overuse, social media, etc. These are methods we are surrounded by and can easily access at any moment to numb ourselves. Our strategies to escape unhappiness do not work, and we continue to be stuck in this cycle of pleasure.
So, why do we choose to live in this cycle?
Our subconscious, operating on autopilot, makes the choices in our daily lives. Along with the changing concept of beauty, we internalize the belief that we must meet certain criteria and standards. We don’t want to see ourselves as we truly are. In trying to resemble the Hollywood stars imposed on us by popular culture, we give up our unique beauty. We push our bodies, try unsustainable weight-loss methods, and even inject substances into our bodies for the sake of losing weight without considering their long-term side effects. Reaching solutions through shortcuts and without pain seems appealing to all of us. But the reality is that happiness can only exist on the road traveled with effort, patience, and perseverance. What shortcut solutions offer us is only momentary pleasure.
The dopamine society says: be beautiful (according to ever-changing beauty standards), have a certain body image, and of course, always look young and strong… When a woman takes care of herself—her body, mind, and soul—eats a balanced diet, maintains an active lifestyle, follows a regular sleep routine, and cares for her body, she will not only be happy and satisfied in the short term but also in the long term. But if we constantly try to change ourselves and fit into certain molds based on the ever-shifting perception of beauty, then the balance is already lost. The cost of this will be high—physically, mentally, and spiritually. In a world where we constantly compare ourselves to the outside world or to others, unhappiness becomes inevitable.
Loving ourselves in our authentic state also means showing care for ourselves—our body, mind, and emotions. At this point, we need to develop a new state of consciousness. To cultivate this awareness, we must first understand what kind of cycle we are in and recognize how we are being affected and swept away by it. Only then can we break free from the pleasure-oriented cycle and adopt habits of self-care to find true happiness and satisfaction in life.
If we want to live life fully, with satisfaction and happiness, we must be aware and conscious of the choices we make at every moment. Only then can we develop an awakened and purified mind that distinguishes between short-term pleasure and long-term satisfaction. This is the path that will lead you to true happiness. With this sense of self-contentment, we can experience the joy of the journey itself rather than focusing on what we will achieve at the end of the road. It means being satisfied in the moment you are in, without expecting anything. In that moment, life is neither lacking nor excessive. It is just as it should be—and that is enough.
To be happy and satisfied in our lives, we must first get to know ourselves—our minds and emotions—and move forward by regulating our relationship with ourselves and the flow of life. In order to transform the thoughts, conditionings, assumptions, and mental patterns in our minds, we need to develop a new mental perception with a certain level of awareness.
As a first step, ask yourself this question:
To be happy, which do I choose: short-term pleasure or long-term satisfaction?
From today on, which one do you consciously choose?
