Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
Brain differences can influence what feels enjoyable and pleasurable. The introvert is going to seek out and enjoy ataraxia much more than an extrovert. Understanding brain differences can create respect for both ways of navigating the world and experiencing pleasure. Here on the forum this can create space for understanding differing interpretations of Epicurean pleasure.
This article presents the differences in introvert and extrovert brains.
The following is an excerpt:
"Why do extroverts like action, but introverts like calm?
"It may have to do with two powerful chemicals found in the brain — dopamine and acetylcholine, “jolt juices” that hugely impact our behavior."
"Dopamine gives us immediate, intense zaps of happiness when we act quickly, take risks, and seek novelty. Acetylcholine, on the other hand, also rewards us, but its effects are more subtle — it makes us relaxed, alert, and content."
"One explanation for introversion vs. extroversion, according to Dr. Marti Olsen Laney in her 2002 book, The Introvert Advantage, is extroverts are less sensitive to dopamine, so they need more of it to feel happy. The more they talk, move, and socialize, the more they feel dopamine’s pleasant effects."
"But when it comes to us “quiet ones,” too much dopamine can overstimulate us, writes Laney, like a kid with a tummy ache hopped up on too much sugar. On the other hand, when we read, concentrate, or use our minds in some way, we feel good because our brains release acetylcholine — a happiness bump so gentle that extroverts hardly register it."
) so there are definitely text references that help with discussing personal differences in pleasure.
