The widely held notion that happiness (or lack thereof) is simply the result of chemical (im)balances is one of the greatest PR victories of the pharmaceutical industry.

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inglor_cz 12 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Well, people consume cocaine for a reason. But I understand your objection. It is a bit reductive to think like this.

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CodeMage 12 hours ago | parent [-]

Would you say cocaine makes those people happy?

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inglor_cz 12 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Yes, at least some of them for some time.

I remember an old addict speaking of cocaine as if it was his only true love. Waxed poetical about it, the way we remember our first kiss.

Seems that at least some people are wired this way.

	▲	lovich 11 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		He’s a comedian so it might just be a bit but Bert Kreischners comments on alcohol fit that description https://youtu.be/MljeQzcmUfE
	▲	12 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		[deleted]

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koakuma-chan 12 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Drugs 100% make people feel happy.

	▲	lr4444lr 11 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		... until the CNS homeostasis stops responding to them, which is why they keep taking bigger hits. Something more complex is going on.
	▲	12 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		[deleted]

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CamperBob2 12 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

What else is there?

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mixedCase 12 hours ago | parent [-]

Happiness chemicals are the end result, and end result we cannot cause directly, anyway. What leads you there, how the process involves your particular brain and environment, and how it acts as a feedback loop are a higher concern.

Even if one day you could just squirt the cocktail directly into your receptors or otherwise trick them, there's more to happiness as a part of life than turning yourself into a vegetable, but I digress.

	▲	koakuma-chan 11 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Death is the ultimate happiness because you get to be relieved from endless suffering that life is. Other than that, yep just take some drugs.