The Molecule of More

THE MOLECULE OF MORE

MASTERY: THE PLEASURE OF BEING

GOOD AT SOMETHING

Mastery is the ability to extract the maximum reward from a particular
set of circumstances. One might achieve mastery over Pac-Man, racquet-
ball, French cooking, or debugging a complicated computer program.
From dopamine’s point of view mastery is a good thing—something to
be  desired and  pursued. But  it’s  different from other good things. It’s  not 
simply finding food, or  a  new  partner, or  beating the  competition. It’s 
bigger and broader than that. It’s reward extraction success: dopamine
achieving dopamine’s goal. When mastery is achieved, dopamine has
reached the  pinnacle of its  aspiration—squeezing every last  drop out 
of an available resource. This is what it’s all about. This is the moment
to savor—now, in the present. Mastery is the point at which dopamine
bows to H&N. Having done all it can do, dopamine pauses, and allows
H&N to have its way with our happiness circuits. Even if it’s only for
a  short time, dopamine doesn’t fight the  feeling of  contentment. It 
approves. The best basking is basking in a job well done.
Mastery also creates a feeling of what psychologists call an internal
locus of control. This phrase refers to the tendency to view one’s choices
and experiences as being under one’s own control as opposed to being
determined by fate, luck, or other people. It’s a good feeling. Most peo-
ple don’t like being at the mercy of forces beyond their control. Pilots
say  that  when they’re flying in  bad  weather, it’s  less  stressful to  be  at  the 
controls than to sit in the cabin. It’s the same with driving in a snow-
storm. Most people would rather be in the driver’s seat than in the pas-
senger seat. In addition to making people feel good, an internal locus
of control also  makes people more effective. People with  a  strong sense 
of internal locus of control are more likely to achieve academic success
and get high-paying jobs.
Those who have an external locus of control, by contrast, take a more
passive view of life. Some are happy, relaxed, and easygoing, but at the
same time they often blame others for their failures and may not put
forth their best  effort on  a  consistent basis. Doctors often become frus-
trated with this kind of person. They tend to ignore medical advice, and