137. HYPERFOCUS BONUS: British Things That Do or Don’t Deliver

There is a strong connection between dopamine and the things we find entertaining. Our brains release dopamine when we anticipate we’re going to enjoy something, like playing a game or watching a movie. It pushes us to take action. When we find something we like, we get another little shot of dopamine to reinforce the behavior. But, when it turns out we don’t enjoy that which we pursued, well, cue the sad trombone.

In this week’s HYPERFOCUS BONUS, Marcus and Esme discuss some recent experiences they’ve had while chasing that rewards anticipation cycle. In Marcus’ case, he describes his lifelong interest in a 600-year-old English legend that has NEVER ONCE delivered for him, no matter how much he hopes it will. For her part, Esme shares her relative success with two British shows she discovered recently.