Summary of the Book 

“Dopamine” and “Here and Now Molecules” play a key role in your life

Understand about Dopamine

Dopamine is often referred to as the “pleasure molecule,” but that’s not accurate. To put it another way:

Your brain’s dopamine is a greedy, never-satisfied spouse.

Consider these descriptions of dopamine as follows…

• “It can never be satisfied. Dopamine can only say ‘More.’”
• “Dopamine pursues more, not morality.”
• “Dopamine doesn’t stop. It drives us ever onward into the abyss.”
• But as greedy as dopamine is, you don’t want to divorce yourself from it. You need dopamine to motivate you to maximize your future resources. Without it, you’d accomplish nothing.

Why?

The secret is, “here and now” (H&N) molecules would take control.

The H&N molecules are like the pot-headed hippies in your mind.

They include neurotransmitters like serotonin, oxytocin, endorphins, and endocannabinoids. H&Ns give you feelings of satisfaction that allow you to enjoy the moment rather than greedily go after more.

Everyone has different natural levels of dopamine and H&Ns. And that (im-)balance affects your behavior.

Two circuits of dopamine

Making matters of your mind extra messy, your future-focused dopamine is divided into two circuits:

Desire Dopamine

Desire dopamine is the gold-digger.

It’s geared toward maximizing your future resources in the short term—lusting after anything unusual or valuable and pushing you to make impulsive decisions to get more of it with little regard for the longer-term consequences. And the closer you get to these short-term rewards, the stronger desire dopamine eggs you on.

People with gambling and other addictions tend to be influenced by powerful desire dopamine circuits.

Control Dopamine

Control dopamine is the power-hungry string-puller.

It wants to maximize your future resources for the long term—compelling you to approach life with a tenacious, cold, calculated mindset so that you continue to get more and more… of everything.

Here’s how you can use dopamine to your advantage

Choose which to listen to.

It helps to keep a conscious awareness of the battle for your attention that goes on in your head between your greedy and future-focused dopamine circuits and content and complacent H&Ns.

And remember, you have the final say.

For example, if you’re working, consciously go into “future mode” and listen to what your dopamine’s telling you to do. And when you’re with your family, tell your dopamine to give it a rest, go into “present mode,” and let your H&Ns have their way.

Pay closer attention.

Quit letting your mind wander and instead seek wonder and what’s in front of you.

The world is full of endless surprises, so the more you heed your H&Ns’ urges to chill out and pay attention to the present, the more you’re likely you’ll find things you don’t expect, which rewards you with a healthy dose of dopamine. This creates a positive feedback loop.

Create happiness rather than seek it.

As per the hedonic paradox, if you pursue things you think will make you happy, they will not. But if you do things to make other people happy, you’ll be happier as a side-effect.