The Myth of Dopamine 

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It’s not about the destination, it’s about the dopamine we got along the way

"If being happy was easy, then everyone would be." WHAT A LINE.

i recently went through a dopamine detox for about 2 weeks bc of personal reasons and all the cons said in the video are spot on. it takes what feels like more effort than before when trying to resist the temptation of going back into old habits. while the dopamine detox has allowed me to appreciate everything more than before and has helped me overcome obstacles, this idea of the modified version of the detox, to not just completely just deprive yourself of anything stimulating but to replace bad habits with new ones, is most likely a better alternative for the long run and i will definitely try it. o7 ironic timing of the video

As a man who overcame addiction, I had to understand that replacing it with nothing would just leave me feeling so empty that I would be ripe for relapse. I had to replace it with healthy alternatives, and then I had results.

I know when I see a new Sisyphus55 upload I get a rush of dopamine

As someone who's had a particularly challenging experience with ADHD, this is spot on. It's not about pleasure, it's about the motivation to pursue a path to a desired end. Until I started taking Adderall, I literally had to shame, coerce, hate, and punish myself relentlessly to get any task done that wasn't incredibly quick reward for very little effort. You can imagine all the maladaptive coping mechanisms that emerge from such a conundrum. Consider this a PSA for anyone that has or thinks they might have ADHD. Adderall (and learning about my brain) has helped me a lot. With Adderall, I'm not magically fixed, though. Using a car as analogy for my brain, imagine a car with a very small gas tank, a loose steering wheel, a fast engine, and weak brakes. My brain/car has developed a very fast engine and weak brakes to cope with this low fuel supply so I can hopefully get up to speed and use the momentum to coast to my destination. Adderall is like temporarily upgrading to a regular-sized gas tank and tightening the loose steering wheel. However, the brakes aren't fixed and, unlike everyone else that's developed it over their lives, I don't have power steering so I really have to YANK on the wheel to turn. So, when on Adderall, I have to be very cautious and intentional with what I choose to spend my time on. I have to make sure I take time to transition between tasks. Otherwise, I'll keep going one direction until the gas runs out. But, overall, my brain is still better at getting me to important destinations with it than it is without it. I hope that made even a little sense to some of you lol.

Dopamine- the “edging” molecule

You really hit the nail on the head with this one Sisyphus. I personally am on a journey or changing what I derive dopamine from. Instead of eating out, I'm trying to find the joy in meal prepping. I always hated cooking but being able to cook once a week and be done with it is actually somehow really fun and rewarding. I always hated running, but following a regiment has really helped me get into it. Though the activation energy was a bit high, after I started, I kinda fell in love with it and it feels rather intoxicating when i reach a goal. It is about changing what makes you feel good, not just stopping yourself from feeling good.

I am not going to comment specifically about dopamine, but my problem with happiness in life is that even when I found my career passion in life, physics, it just continued getting harder and harder and no matter how much I learned and grew it was never enough, when I was little finishing high school felt like it would be a big deal, it wasn't, then a bachelor felt prestigeous, it wasn't. Now I have yet to finish my master's and yet from working in a scientific institute for a couple of months I see that not even a goddamn PhD means all that much. This just feels like it plucks at my enjoyment of science and that I am stuck, since I know only things related to physics (any type of physics really) would bring me any joy as a career, yet that has few job prospects and absurd demands, but other careers wouldn't be easier since I wouldn't have the passion to study them well and it will take even more of my time being alive to respecialise. I understand my problem is that I think of happiness and satisfaction as an end goal, where I am "good enough" and won't feel pressured into continuing the rat race, I will make enough money, do good enough work and just be content and free to do other stuff. But this isn't how the world works, it's about competition and as long as there are people deeper into science doing greater things, then the institute and educational facilities will continue wanting more. I should be happy with the journey of growing and being more educated, but that started to fade after 2nd year in uni when studying stopped being a fun activity that engages my brain and I feel smart for understanding "complex" topics relatively quickly. Quantum mechanics was weird, but with a few years I got the hang of the ideas somewhat (there is always some uncertainty, lol) and it became one of my favorite fields, but then quantum field theory and general relativity just kicked my ass. That was kinda fun, but also so torturous. And I knew that even if I learned them, that that is old physics still and I would not be done. I just want my hard work to pay off already, I want to enjoy life, not feel forced to be more, do better, keep pushing. I want the journey to end already! And I am 24, still young to be thinking such things, I have no idea what the future holds for me, these past 6 years changed my perspective on life in really negative ways. To anyone who read it all, thank you for putting up with my venting!

"Touch Grass" ~Nietzsche

I just learned this the other day. Dopamine is not the problem. The problem is our perception of what the rewards are. If you see drinking alcohol is as rewarding as not drinking, you won't get addicted. But of course, this is hard to master since life gives a lot of distractions ,boredom, emotional pain, ignorant, etc.

You have been killing it lately man, keep it up! This channel has had a profound effect on my life. Thank you for doing what you do and sharing such valuable knowledge with us.

8:35 So true - Near the end of my partying days, I noticed the ritual of chopping up lines and such was much more fun than the actual effects following insufflation

It's really uncanny that this was the exact process I worked myself through in therapy for my ADHD, largely independent of any resources other than my own introspection and the gentle guidance of my counselor. Rather than remove myself entirely from my more addictive, instantly gratifying hobbies and habits and forcing myself to do the unpleasant "chores" that I avoid at all costs, I've instead been slowly redefining and internalizing the things that give me a greater sense of contentment. Over the past couple months, I've found myself less and less inclined to play video games and more inclined to clean and decorate my apartment. Less inclined to order takeout and more inclined to cook. And most of all, less inclined to drink myself to sleep and more inclined to call it a night and lie down so that I can wake up the next day feeling good. The things that were once chores are now more enjoyable pieces of what I generally call "having my shit together," the progress towards which is the most gratifying state of mind and being I've found so far in almost 27 years.

The irony of a video about the nuances of dopamine being sponsored by a company that takes practically all of the time and effort out of reading and turns it into yet another activity of near instant-gratification, is not lost on me.

For me, I just refuse to let myself lose the simple pleasures. Life can be miserable. that’s kind of unavoidable. Life is inherently tragic after all, tragedy does not exist without its opposite of pleasure and joy. The way I make it through this cold, frigid world it is by holding onto the little pleasures that I can get. This world is a world of ice, but the little bit of warmth that I can create through a controlled flame of pleasure that I get from for example taking a walk outside and hearing the birds chirp, or seeing myself in the mirror, and feeling euphoric about my womanhood, or any other small pleasure. Happiness is not a goal, if you treated as a goal, you will never achieve it as there is no point where you are finally living a happy life. Happiness is the small moments it’s building a flame to survive a world of ice. I am happy. I will never be satisfied, but I am happy because I never seeked to be satisfied. I seek to get the little joys that I could and hold onto them. My advice is basically live for the small pleasures,Not the massive ones. The big ones are nice, but if you become reliant on them, you are dooming yourself for disappointment. As they say the flame that burns twice as bright burns, only half as long. Happiness is not about A big achievement Happiness based on A big achievement will only last you a short amount of time. Happiness based off the small little things that you can achieve every day that you put more focus into and seeing the beauty of this world can fuel your flame for a long time.

Man, I dont know who you are, what your life is like, or even what your name is. I’ve been watching your videos since I was in high school and all the while you’ve continued to make videos that pull me out of my head and allow me to see the world with more objectivity and graciousness. Thank you for remaining a steadfast inspiration and exposing me to the ideas and philosophies that have shaped my adolescence and young adulthood. Im proud to see the community of people in touch with themselves and the world around them that you have fostered. It gives me hope.

Don't underestimate the role of adrenaline to get someone stimulated enough to perform a task

The problem I have with people who say "it's the journey, not the destination" is that the journey always sucks. If your life is filled with great friends and interesting people who can make your 'journey' enjoyable no matter what, then I'm really happy for you. But the 'journey' to acquiring a good friend literally takes value away from my life if it doesn't result in acquiring that friend, because those are hours and calories I could have spent acquiring a skill or making money, two things I really need to do. Hell, it would have even been better spent playing a video game, because at least I am having a good time and keeping my mind sharp. And even if I do gain a friend, how long will that friendship last? I don't think I've had one that lasted more than two years. As someone with chronic fatigue, I don't have hours and days to waste on things that don't pay off. I don't have the energy for it. So to me, telling others to "enjoy the journey" always seems like it comes from a very privileged position. If you have the energy to do everything that you need to do, and all your needs are already taken care of, and you have extra to pursue whatever you want, then of course it's no big deal to you if that energy gets wasted. It's no big deal if the journey has no payoff, because you're not going to be any worse off at the end of it. That's why that advice always rubbed me the wrong way, even if it's technically the right thing to do for most people, who tend to hyperfixate on a specific result and fail to appreciate what's right in front of them.

thank you for bringing this to the public!! i'm a psych student as well and i've been telling all my friends about this, it's really important info imo. you always deliver :)

While not officially diagnosed, I struggle with porn addiction or have addictive tendencies. Indeed, it’s not a problem to deprive myself from any joy/dopamine releasing activities, the difficulty lies in doing stuff i’m not used to doing to replace watching porn, like reading a book, working out or learning a new hobby. I have my periods where I don’t feel the need to watch porn at all, but sometimes I find myself in the deep end. Progress is not linear I understand, and I notice it’s getting better and I feel gradually more in control, but my biggest obstacle remains replacing short term gratification/anticipation excitement with the examples I mentioned. Here’s to everyone struggling with some kind of addiction, we’ll make it. 🥰

This is certainly one of these infuriating things about current human society. The fact that knowledge about new things, such as scientific discovery of dopamine, isn't used for purposes of knowing how humans work and understanding each other better- instead it's used as a scapegoat to not adress societall problems Like blaming just one chemical in human brain for both depression and addiction- when these aren't done by the chemical alone, but are mostly caused by outside pressure and deficiencies. It's the whole bullshit ideology of "You and only you are at the root of all of your problems" that many use to avoid adressing problems that are not just caused by singular self or wouldn't happen if a person X wasn't involved. It's not a want for a hive mind, mind that, it's a call for people to finally use society as society, not as "just means to an end"

omg so maybe THATs why i get so swept up sometimes in the urge to pursue a creative idea or stay up late trying to learn something deliciously frustrating yet doable, because my brain is fuelled by dopamine in anticipation of the rewarding feeling of having completed it, and why i need deadline stress to feel like myself, and yet its hard to motivate myself when most of a task is ahead of me because the end is too far for me to visualize the reward of being done but i work much faster as the end approaches, and why it’s so hard to motivate myself to do day to day things in the absence of excitement and burnout inducing things in my life, because nothing feels rewarding enough if it isn’t challenging in some way and i need to anticipate a nonguaranteed reward (so not one i promise myself but something i really need to earn or gamble for) in order to get the motivation chemicals

I think dopamine detox is not about lowering it, but returning sensitivity to it.

Very good!!

Fun Fact: Dopamine is what is responsible for lengthing the eyes during adolescence. Sunlight can help moderate or reduce the amount of dopamine in your eyes to keep them from growing too long. If your eyes grow too oblong, it causes myopia (nearsightedness) as the optics aren't quite right. Your body likes to use the same ~5 neurochemicals for a plethora of different functions and systems which is why medication is so complicated.

your videos are so beautifully made and this is the longest ive gone watching a youtube video for MONTHS without going on my phone. your animations are captivating and your voice is soo nice thank you for making these videos!!

“rather than deprive ourselves of that which makes us happy, we should instead take-on the more arduous task of redefining the things that makes us happy” I fully agree, depriving ourselves doesn’t solve the root of the problem. Self-reflection, evaluation, & re-directing our actions & focus towards what we truly value is a much better way. At least, that’s what I believe Love everything & whatever you post man, always interesting to watch ❤

This video really came at the perfect time and hit every note I needed to hear. Of late my academic performance has been suffering in chase of these "dopamine hits". Where I do nothing but play video games and only eat what makes me happy. It's also funny that only recently I had come to realise the "intermittent reinforcement" part of this video is very important. While my academics have been suffering, I have been going to the gym consistently, and while my body hasn't reached where I would like it to, I definitely see improvements. The same can be applied to academics in the sense that the greater the delay the greater the satisfaction, the more I study the better marks ill get. I appreciate this video a lot Sisyphus, thank you. I will be sharing this with everyone I can.

During the lock down, I replaced my socializing with exercise, and enjoying my back yard as well as trips to secluded areas to enjoy nature. It was a great way to break out of my old habits and helped me to appreciate lower stimulation activities.

"a relationship is the price you pay for the anticipation of it", blew my mind

Alan Watts popularization of Eastern Philosophy clearly points this out in his application of Buddhist teachings - Life is not a journey - it is a dance. Most are trapped in the idea that the purpose is to get to the end of it. Life is a dance and you don't dance to get to the end of the song.

Gold mine, Watching it repeatedly and learning something new every time or unlearning some flawed lessons. Thank you.

Gotta love getting a sponsor on a serious video like this that talks about paying for a service to be happy.

Thank you so much! I was thinking about this topic these days after seeing people on comment sections trying to explain everything in terms of dopamine responses. This oversimplification is like another revolution of behaviorism - only this time it's happening online. I hope this video will serve to stop this misconception.

This is your best video yet. Thank you.

Needed this recently helped me understand a lot about some barriers I have with my creative process surprisingly. Thank you

Its so crazy, my youtube algorythm is just presenting me banger videos like this one all the time, answering my unspoken question. Thanks for ur great video!

poor dopamine causes me to watch sisyphus 55 videos all day, everyday.

Keep pushing that boulder man, it's working for you. Another banger from the Sis.

Your research is on point! As always

The way you characterise dopamine detoxing shows a very revealing light on that you are not the type person that needs, or even capable to understand the benefits of, dopamine detoxing

Sisyphus, this is one of your best videos. Well done mate 👏

Its a total contradiction, that the work done to achieve something brings happiness or contentment rather than the thing itself, as an artist, i often stop caring about my work the moment it is finished, and i miss being able to work on it. In terms of my personal life, i find that despite the fact that i may be hungry and the food i want to prep will take a moment, i find that while prepping food, i feel better, just knowing im going to get what i want. It feels like a paradox, but in a good way.

Another sobering and educational video, well done Sir

This is the best video I have watched on dopamine, tons of misinformation out there about it! Thank you!!

You're doing some great work with these videos

Thank you for another amazing video! I love your insights

No one said you have to abandone socializing to do a dopamine detox, talking to people is a good habit.

Splendid video dear Sisyphus

My dopamine hits after all my bills are paid, I mow my lawn,(which are things I hate!) But then I sit down and I see how comfortable and presentable my house is because of my hard work, and thats when I feel this satisfaction. It doesnt last long but man it feels really good for about an hour.

Watching Sisyphus55 is like watching a retro styled indie 3d platformer And I love it

soo goddamn good, i appreciate you so much pls never stop your great workk

This video was literally genius. Just subscribed!

This video was really well done and an eye-opener for me in some key areas.

I've had this itch about Dopamine's portrayal in everyday language ever since I watched Sapolsky's lectures, but haven't wrapped my head around it fully yet. I even catch myself using Dopamine in the "pleasure" sense of the word, and have begun accepting it as an unfortunate quirk of the culture for now. Now I have another piece of the puzzle though. It's not only about anticipation - it's about the confidence in your own ability to reach a given reward. Super interesting, thanks for making the video!

Many thanks, Sussyphus.

Fantastic video, per usual!

The Blinkist sponsor is a pretty good thing, there’s books I like I buy the full version of and it’s nice to add books to a shared folder. I shared mine with my friend’s mom cause my friend passed within the year and I want her to have something shared and something she can have if needing something other than tv or work

Spend a lot of time depressed and I kinda came to this conclusion on my own. It's hard to look back at a decade or 5 and still yearn for happiness. At some point it becomes necessary for you to accept the fact that whatever happiness you do ultimately experience in life, you've already experienced a portion of it. That implies that the portion of the journey you've already completed was part of the total reward, rather than purely the struggle toward some reward you've yet to receive. It tempers your expectations a bit, but also teachers you to live more in the moment.

A quote I strive to live by it “It is impossible to achieve the aim without suffering.” My aim in life, is not happiness, it is fulfillment. I will still question myself, and desire more and more, but I know that suffering is necessary. It’s a wonderful feeling to look back at where you used to be in the past, and compare it to what you have now, provided you have made progress.

I simply can say that this guy is going better and better every video

I love the illustrations!

I sat through the sponsorship, which I don't do often. I sat through it because of the music. Good job.

Thank you sir, your video gave me the anticipatory dopamine I was looking for scrolling RU-vid. Now I will go off to find more in the hell pit that is online games

Hey man, I know this will probably get lost in the comments, but you genuinely have some of the most thought provoking content on this platform. There are times where I look at your video and I’m so excited because I’m not in the mindset to engage as thoughtfully as you do. Thus, on this video and the ones I’ve watched you’ve given me an large amount of help and I want to thank you and acknowledging you for the work. It truly is appreciated. Thank you

Bless your soul bruh. Your voice is a staple in my head now lol.

This is so funny. I went on a Dopamine detox for a week but today I've been binge watching all the RU-vid videos I didn't watch throughout the week.

the animation on this video is absolutely fantastic

I think "dopamine fasts" are very good because it's a practice in discipline. The ability to say no and learn to deny yourself things. That's good. But this is a great video on showing that the intended purpose of the fast is not scientific. Well done

its good to see actual research on topic, rather than regurgitated info over and over. Kudos to author

the timing on these vids is insane

knowing that everyone is unhappy, makes me think that I really don't have any reason to feel sorry for myself

You could say something about the act of reciving gifts. I dont look back at the actual presents i gor with happiness but the anticipation before i got them as the true source of the happiness i get from recicing presents

Hah. I was about to skip your blinkist sponsor ad (I'm already signed up) but then you started to talk about Dr. Sapolsky. I've listened to every single available lecture by him, and I've read his Zebra book. The man is a damn gift of nature.

top tier content as always, keep it up 😄

Really good video wish people with deep mindset could see this more 🙇🏾‍♂️

This was "the one video, I actually liked" thanks man :)

I love you for this

BANGER VIDEO ALERT!!! You should do more videos focused on brain chemistry.

Wow! This is a good video. Very informative while being concise and referencing very strong material and reminding us that there is value in looking into more of Nietzsche teachings. Great job of your video!

Awesome job, I really quite enjoyed this video. I've seen several of your creations before, but this one compelled me to subscribe immediately. Thank you for your work!

This is the best video on dopamine that I’ve ever seen

I enjoyed this. Thank you

If being happy was easy, then everyone would be. What a nice insight that is.

Bro this video's audio is loud as hell. I appreciate that.

I love Schopenhauer's metaphysics and am writing a paper on his idealism and how it compares with Neural Annealing. I love reading The Will and Representation... it's a shame he isn't as widely known or taught.

to live is to suffer, to survive is to find meaning.

amazing video, thanks dude

Super glad to see a Sisyphus video referring to Robert Sapolski. This was an excellent watch.

A while ago, I remember hearing about how Dopamine is desire. There was an experiment done on rats that had their Dopamine completely blocked so they didn’t get any, & the rats didn’t do anything. No eating, playing, drinking, fighting, nothing. They ate if food was put in their mouth, but that was forced. They didn’t have any desire to do anything at all, so they didn’t do anything.

this is the kind of stuff I watch while on the toilet or before bed and I'm not embarrassed to say that. It's like those 3 AM videos you find.

I love these videos so much

This is the first RU-vid channel where the comments are just as amazing as the content 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

My resolve to social media addiction and phone addiction is get a flip phone and a laptop, the flip phone will only allow you to sms people not enabling you to start scrolling and remove yourself from this moment. Your computer can be used to check social media only a few times a day and you can do everything else that you would normally do on your phone on a computer in an appropriate place

your videos make me happy

Hi there, I’m a philosophy graduate from Spain. I enjoyed this video very much and I would like to address Huberman’s podcast on dopamine. I believe the main ideas commented there would Be nicely implemented into your scheme showed on the video. One of them, to be brief, is the one that one should do things in their routine without the less added dopamine-increasing activities: listening to music while training, going to study with friends, etc. this would take our dopamine base levels much lower and would make us more motivated to do those things since we can develope an attraction to it without “distractions” that maybe less the dopamine stimulation. This should be done from time to time as minimum.

Amazing video. Thanks

having ADHD and actually having a dopamine deficiency and trying to explain that to people is so frustrating when everyone thinks that dopamine just means "happy chemical"