An artilcle I thought of to share...We talked with University of Oxford neuroscientist Morten Kringelbach, author of The Pleasure Center, about his revoluntionary research and our constant craving to feel good.
What do people find most pleasurable in their daily lives?
Sex. But number two is being with friends. Almost everything we find pleasurable, including eating and drinking, is so much better when doing it with someone else.
Can pleasure be used as medicine?
We can implant electrodes in the brain of a person in pain. When we stimulate the right spots, the pain actually goes away and the relief is very pleasurable.
Why do we sometimes feel guilty about indulging in pleasure?
Guilt is like a built-in stop valve. If we overindulge in one thing, such as sex, food or drugs, it can become and addiction that we feed to the exclusion of the thing that gives us the most long-term pleasure - other people.
How can we live a more pleasurable life?
There's no magic here. Enjoy your family and friends, and work less. The simples pleasures really are the best ones.
*** Cynthia Dermody ***
