The Joys of Experiencing Novelty

    Lately I've been thinking about how modern life ramps ups the novelty seeking drive. From a young age, our brains have been wired by complexities just like rats in cage with lots of toys and tunnels to run through. On one end of the spectrum boredom (and other associated feelings) can come up when life is lacking in novelty, but on the other end of the spectrum too much novelty seeking can create unpleasant consequences. And each person needs to find the level that feels good and works for them.

    Here are some good articles on the subject (a brief excerpt follow each article link):

    The Magic of Novelty: Why It Matters and How to Embrace It
    Are you bored with your life? When was the last time you did something out of your daily routine? As adults, we can sometimes forget there is so much we…
    www.psychologytoday.com
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    • Having novelty in your life can boost your memory and creativity.
    • Novelty can increase your sense of happiness.
    • Small, intentional changes can make a difference.

    Have you ever found yourself stuck in a rut, going through the motions of the same daily routine? Maybe it's the way you've set up your life. It’s comforting, in a way—you know what to expect, and the familiarity can be soothing. Unpredictability can be uncomfortable, and even create some or a lot of anxiety. The same ole, same ole feels a lot safer. But too much predictability can leave us feeling uninspired, restless, or even stuck. Enter novelty: the secret sauce to keeping life vibrant and meaningful. Hang on—before you dismiss this idea, there are benefits to novelty that you may not have thought about. Keep an open mind.


    Neuroscience Of Novelty: Why Your Brain Chases New | MindLAB
    Novelty fires dopamine on prediction error — before any reward arrives. A neuroscientist explains why your brain chases new, and how to redirect it.
    mindlabneuroscience.com
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    Novelty triggers dopamine release from the ventral tegmental area before any reward is delivered. The brain is not responding to what happened: it is responding to what might happen. Wolfram Schultz’s landmark research at the University of Fribourg established that dopamine neurons fire at the moment of surprise, not the moment of gratification, with peak signaling occurring when prediction error, the gap between what was expected and what arrived, is largest. That anticipatory signal is powerful, indiscriminate, and the biological basis of both creative innovation and compulsive restlessness. In my practice, I consistently observe a paradox: the same dopamine-driven circuit that makes someone an exceptional innovator also makes sustained commitment feel neurologically aversive. The brain that chases novelty is not broken. The question is whether you are directing the circuit or it is directing you.


    The following is somewhat related (but a word of caution...as it is about lab rats).

    I taught rats to drive a car, and it may help us lead happier lives
    Teaching rats to drive a tiny car around a laboratory taught scientists a lot about the benefits of anticipating the joy brought by the things we love.
    www.bbc.com
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    While we can't directly ask rats whether they like to drive, we devised a behavioural test to assess their motivation to drive. This time, instead of only giving rats the option of driving to the Froot Loop tree, they could also make a shorter journey on foot – or paw, in this case.

    Surprisingly, two of the three rats chose to take the less efficient path of turning away from the reward and running to the car to drive to their Froot Loop destination. This response suggests that the rats enjoy both the journey and the rewarding destination.

    I haven't had time to look at the links but I think this is a good direction. I don't think the statement that's often repeated to the effect that after all pain is eliminated pleasure is not increased but merely varied is intended to be a slam on variety as it appears to be being interpreted. ALL pleasure is pleasurable and therefore desirable, and the limitation is not that any pleasure is unpleasing in itself, but that some pleasures cost more in pain than they are worth. And as Epicurus says to Menoeceus life is desirable - which means living on IS desirable so long as we can do so with net balance of pleasure.

    So that idea that pleasures of "variety" are somehow beneath the dignity of an Epicurean needs to be swept away as an artifact of Stoicism or Buddhism or worse.

    Quote from Kalosyni

    On one end of the spectrum boredom (and other associated feelings) can come up when life is lacking in novelty, but on the other end of the spectrum too much novelty seeking can create unpleasant consequences. And each person needs to find the level that feels good and works for them.

    Here are some good articles on the subject (a brief excerpt follow each article link):

    Kalosyni ,

    Thanks for the interesting articles. I liked the “Neuroscience of Novelty”.

    What I understand is that Epicureanism values a pleasant life prudently seeking pleasures, but our brain’s dopamine system naturally craves prediction error. Instead of chasing new, external projects that disrupt our peace, the author suggests to introduce "structured novelty" into our existing commitments. By deliberately seeking new challenges, adjacent skills, or deeper variations within our current pursuits, we satisfy the brain's need for surprise without the instability of constantly starting over. This prevents the "innovation trap," where the urge to pivot creates unnecessary stress and prevents the completion of meaningful work.

    Neuroscience shows that anticipation (the "wanting" loop) often feels more potent than the actual achievement because it is driven by prediction error. Recognize that the excitement you feel when starting something new is a neurochemical signal, not necessarily a sign that the new path is better. By understanding that this signal naturally fades as things become predictable, we can avoid the cycle of abandoning valuable, stable commitments in search of a "high" that will inevitably diminish. This seems to reinforce the tenets of PD5.

    Is this how you understand the application of the ‘neurological novelty’ concept?

    Patrikios

    Patrikios that particular article seems to be saying that some people have a hard time finishing projects because they "lose interest" but actually they are experiencing a diminished sense of novelty. And the solution to this problem is to re-direct the novelty seeking back into the sustained work by looking for the uncertainty/unpredictability aspects or bringing in other people to help work on the project.