The Gratification Migration

Meaningless dopamine sources have people in chains, while meaningful dopamine is reserved to those that hunt and evolve. That is, pursuing your curiosity in alignment with self-generated goals, making novel discoveries in the unknown, and being able to maintain an impactful lifestyle in a world that is shifting from corporation to individual.

By stacking motivations, that is, layering curiosity atop curiosity atop curiosity, we’re increasing drive but not effort. This is what happens when our own internal biology does the heavy lifting for us. You’ll work harder, but you won’t notice the work. Also, because dopamine provides a host of additional cognitive benefits—amplified focus, bette