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Knowing True Stuff Is Fun
The little charge of “Ah Ha!” we feel when we realize something
Give me another hit of that!
Just as you feel pleasure when you have a bite of cake, or refreshing drink, the body and brain feels a dopamine hit when we learn.
That learning should be fun is known to all good teachers. When learning is frustrating, tedious, boring, or rote, it seldom teaches. When the learner is either confirmed in enjoying a discovery, or reinforced to hate the process, learning becomes stunted. The role of dopamine, that pleasant feeling of “ah ha, now I get it!” is universal, and positive, when it works as the body intended.
My husband and I are addicted to learning. We watch a lot of nature shows and science shows. Then, when out and about in the real world of biology and integrated world systems, we are delighted to see things we have heard about unfold as predicted. This is another sort of “hit,” and it is even more powerful because all senses combine to produce, and confirm it.
You might learn something about tree bark that helps you realize its scent. You may see the way a squirrel moves, and delight in the dance. You may hear a bird song, and feel confident they are still finding food, or mating. There, are of course, millions and millions of such…