False happiness
The pervious page on authentic happiness discusses happiness being beyond materialistic items and is determined by relationships, positive emotion, engagement and meaning in life. However, some individuals cannot find these sources of happiness in their lives. Similarly to Brave New World, if characters feel anything that compromises their happiness they take a soma pill. Where as in reality, when individuals cannot achieve happiness they may rely on drugs and alcohol to supplement it.
Why Alcohol and Drugs Supplement Happiness
To understand why people use drugs and alcohol to supplement happiness, I researched what is happening at a chemical level that results in temporary happiness. Alcohol affects what is called the reward pathway. "The reward pathway is an important survival mechanism for the individual/ it fosters learning by rewarding us for actions which result in the acquisition of food or sex. This leads us to learn these behaviours as conditioned responses"(hamsnetwork.org). This form of pleasure is what can be mistaken for real happiness. Brave New World seems to take advantage of this reward pathway by keeping this pathway in continuously reward by having the options of soma, sex and food continuously available.
The affect that Drugs, such as cocaine, have on the body is slightly different than alcohol. Drugs affect the balance of dopamine in the body . Dopamine is a hormone that makes people feel good. "All drugs which lead to dependence appear to affect the dopamine system"(hamsnetwork.org). Drugs affect the dopamine receptors directly, and causes an increase in dopamine levels. These bursts in dopamine levels is what makes people feel temporarily happy. In the moment an individual may feel good but as soon as dopamine levels return to a normal balanced level, the effects will ware off. Since these effects are only temporary Drugs and Alcohol should not be confused with authentic happiness. Soma is the best example for temporary happiness in Brave New World. Soma acts the same way as drugs and alcohol by temporarily having an altered affect on the individual's mindset.
To understand why people use drugs and alcohol to supplement happiness, I researched what is happening at a chemical level that results in temporary happiness. Alcohol affects what is called the reward pathway. "The reward pathway is an important survival mechanism for the individual/ it fosters learning by rewarding us for actions which result in the acquisition of food or sex. This leads us to learn these behaviours as conditioned responses"(hamsnetwork.org). This form of pleasure is what can be mistaken for real happiness. Brave New World seems to take advantage of this reward pathway by keeping this pathway in continuously reward by having the options of soma, sex and food continuously available.
The affect that Drugs, such as cocaine, have on the body is slightly different than alcohol. Drugs affect the balance of dopamine in the body . Dopamine is a hormone that makes people feel good. "All drugs which lead to dependence appear to affect the dopamine system"(hamsnetwork.org). Drugs affect the dopamine receptors directly, and causes an increase in dopamine levels. These bursts in dopamine levels is what makes people feel temporarily happy. In the moment an individual may feel good but as soon as dopamine levels return to a normal balanced level, the effects will ware off. Since these effects are only temporary Drugs and Alcohol should not be confused with authentic happiness. Soma is the best example for temporary happiness in Brave New World. Soma acts the same way as drugs and alcohol by temporarily having an altered affect on the individual's mindset.