Blockchain happiness: The biological evolution
Did blockchain revolutionize happiness on the internet?
Dear noble Steemiteers,
I experienced so many nice comments and feedback from lots of great people on my first post here on steemit that I became really happy. And I realized that while it's unique to find such acceptance in our everyday world and even more unique to find it on the internet, it's not so unique to find it on the blockchain, as so many of you have shown!
Which made me think rather strangely, how did "happiness" develop in our evolution in the first place? Why did it have to develop? Why is it needed, or is it even real? And if blockchain revolutionized (or will revolutionize) everything, could it revolutionize happiness?
I only have theory here but to begin this short journey (gonna try and keep it within the hot "cup of coffee" time-frame :) I looked into the philosophy, biology and science of what happiness is to see what I could find that's not in the self-help section and see how that could tie into my experience of happiness on the blockchain.
Philosophy:
In Aristotle's writings "Nicomachean Ethics," he tries to discover what is happiness, or as he calls it what is the "supreme good of man." Aristotle believed, a thing is best understood by looking at its core; that is what is its main purpose, its main goal. For example, the purpose of a knife is to cut, and by seeing this core purpose we best understand it.
Now, if one does this for some time on a human, we find that some goals are subordinate to others. For example, a C.Sc students goal may be to qualify as a coder, but this is subordinate to the goal of furthering technology, itself subordinate to make a living by doing something useful. This could go on and on. What then, asks Aristotle, is this goal that is an end in itself? This is the supreme good of man, and that is happiness. Even though honor, pleasure, intellect, and in fact every excellence we choose for their own sake, but we also choose them to be happy. We don't however choose happiness to have honor, pleasure or intellect.
Fine, so happiness is the end all be all, the supreme good for humans, but what makes us happy? If we hold that by understanding the distinctive function of a certain thing one can understand its essence. Then we have to look into what is the instinctive nature of man? While humans need nourishment and have feelings, so do plants and animals. What is our distinctive function? Well says Aristotle, it is our unique capacity to reason.
The core of all we do is for happiness (the supreme good of man,) and the core of all man is to reason. Unlike amusement or pleasure, which can also be enjoyed by animals, reason can only by enjoyed by humans; to live actively within our core lies our happiness. Therefore, according to Aristotle, happiness is not a state we attain but an activity (of reason) that we do. It is the activity of invention and innovation.
Biology:
While other animals appear to experience physical well being and pleasurable moods, only humans take pleasure in the sustained pursuit of creative and productive behaviors. In addition, only humans seem to worry about the future.
A large component of human happiness is linked to the ability to focus on specific goals. Brain imaging and EEG studies show that the goal directed form of happiness when deliberately achieving a serene meditative state is associated with activation of the left pre-frontal cortex (numbers 10 and 11 in the picture below.) This is not surprising because the human pre-frontal cortex is important for higher cognition, has highly evolved connectivity, and is activated when thinking about the future, an inherent property of goal directed behaviors.
A remarkable study of 2,250 adults revealed that people’s minds wandered nearly half of the time when they were unhappy, than when their minds were focused on specific activity like conversing, listening to music or exercising.
Compared to other primates we humans are able to focus extraordinarily well. We use this part of the brain to plan activities, to bring our plans to fruition, and to form other plans for the future. Without the inclination to anticipate and carry out these activities, humans would not have become such an intelligent and creative species.
The emotional rewards of creative pursuits may have motivated early hominins to invent tools, the first language, and ways to start and use fire. Modern scientists continue to create inventions that contribute to human well being and extend our lives. Such inventions are the product of natural selection for human like intelligence. Within the human psyche the anticipation of happiness motivates us to use reason for the pursuit of goals, and the goals achievement delivers the anticipated emotional reward of happiness.
Science:
Neuroscientists have learned a lot about what truly will makes us happy. UCLA neuroscience researcher Alex Korb has shown that making decisions including creating intentions and setting goals are part of the same neural circuitry that engage the prefrontal cortex in a positive way. Thinking of decisions increases serotonin production in the anterior cingulate cortex.
Actively choosing increased rewarding dopamine activity in ours brains. For example, in one study, 2 rats were given injections of cocaine, rat A had to pull a lever to get the cocaine and rat B didn’t have to do anything. Rat A got a bigger boost of dopamine in its nucleus accumbens.
Then comes the physical doing, one of the primary ways to release oxytocin is through touching. Touching something you love actually reduces pain. In fact, when studies were done on married couples, the stronger the marriage, the more powerful the effect of a hug had, especially a long one, which released the neurotransmitter and hormone oxytocin, which reduces the reactivity of the amygdala.
And when the achievement finally comes we inherently have gratitude which boosts the neurotransmitter dopamine and endorphines in the brain stem region.
Blockchain:
Happiness, defined as the pure activity of reason developed in our species to keep pushing us forward to greater intellectual heights. Without happiness we wouldn't push our reason, which is the sole purpose of our being. It is made up of the four neurotransmitters Dopamine, Oxiticin, Serotonin and Endorphins (D.O.S.E) that are released as we journey within our sole activity in evolution, forever addicted to its very real "high."
The extreme positivity of the crypto community as a whole and of Steemit in particular is due in my opinion to the tremendous inventive and innovative nature blockchain technology has to offer, which adheres to our truest sense of biological purpose. Giving us all a tremendous amount of happiness in the activity of perusing greater innovation, understanding and depth within a whole new world and within a whole new community. This unhinged activity of "reason" is an enlightenment for the ages and possibly bring with it a happiness for the ages as well.
Thanks so much to every single one of you for the happiness you bring to this community. Hope I supplied some entertainment of thought.
Sincerely yours,
Cool4School
Notes:
[1] http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0054%3Abekker+page%3D1097a
[2] http://www.beinghuman.org/article/adaptive-value-happiness