Dopamine Nation : Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence

Lessons of the Balance

The relentless pursuit of pleasure (and avoidance of pain) leads to pain.

Recovery begins with abstinence.

Abstinence resets the brain’s reward pathway and with it our capacity to take joy in simpler pleasures.

Self-binding creates literal and metacognitive space between desire and consumption, a modern necessity in our dopamine-overloaded world.

Medications can restore homeostasis, but consider what we lose by medicating away our pain.

Pressing on the pain side resets our balance to the side of pleasure.

Beware of getting addicted to pain.

Radical honesty promotes awareness, enhances intimacy, and fosters a plenty mindset.

Prosocial shame affirms that we belong to the human tribe.

Instead of running away from the world, we can find escape by immersing ourselves in it.

Many months later,

Then he had his aha moment

it’s important to know what you’re good at and what you’re not good at, so you can make wise decisions.

we can’t be good at everything

tell them the truth

About five years ago,

Sometimes as parents we think that by hiding our mistakes and imperfections and only revealing our best selves, we’ll teach our children what is right. But this can have the opposite effect, leading children to feel they must be perfect to be lovable.

there was a part of me that

It was only afterward