For centuries, scientists and philosophers alike have tried to understand why human beings consistently make choices that are not in our best interests. For example, the serious health risks from smoking are well known, but that does not stop millions of Americans from indulging in cigarettes every day. Why?
The obvious answer is that engaging in behaviors that are bad for us feels good. Whether we are enjoying an after-dinner cigar or hang-gliding in the mountains, we are trading short-term pleasure for potential long-term risks. Some trade-offs allow us to experience extraordinary joy or success. But problems arise when pleasure-seeking behaviors take over a person's life, as in drug addiction or obesity. An increased understanding about how the brain produces pleasure is leading the way to more effective interventions for when pleasure brings pain.
The Uncontrollable Id
Freud postulated that pleasure-seeking behaviors are driven by a subconscious entity called the "id," which operates on what he called "The Pleasure Principle": satisfying urges for food, drink, and sex. Normally, id's desires are kept in check by the more rational "ego" and societal mores. However, sometimes the id can take over, leading a person to make selfish and even self-destructive choices.
While in the contemporary perspective, many of Freud's ideas have been scrutinized, one aspect is considered to sure: specialized areas of the brain produce pleasure. That understanding has provided insight into the complex nature of human motivation.
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