• Question: Is happiness just chemicals flowing through the brain?

    Asked by Humaira on 13 Jun 2023.
    • Photo: Steph Acaster

      Steph Acaster answered on 13 Jun 2023:

      Kind of, yes. Whenever a person experiences something rewarding, dopamine (a neurochemical) increases in certain areas of the brain, and that essentially signals that they are enjoying the experience.

      Dopamine levels ‘spike’ when you experience happiness or other positive emotions, and a lower level of dopamine can motivate you to keep seeking out happiness or rewarding experiences.

      Some psychologists might argue that the biological explanation of happiness is too “reductionist” and it doesn’t capture the personal, subjective nature of “what is happiness”…

    • Photo: Ashleigh Johnstone

      Ashleigh Johnstone answered on 15 Jun 2023:

      I agree with Steph’s answer here that yes, we can just look at happiness as purely biological and based on chemicals in the brain. But I think that definition misses out of the fun of the human experience of happiness. For example, if I’m happy because my dog is being really cute and playful, I’d like to think that it’s more than just a chemical reaction 😊

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