The Molecule of More

THE MOLECULE OF MORE

does, but has the power to deliver happiness—long-term happiness
based on H&N neurotransmitters such as oxytocin, vasopressin, and
endorphin.
It’s like our favorite old haunts—restaurants, shops, even cities. Our
affection for  them comes from taking pleasure in  the  familiar ambience: 
the real, physical nature of the place. We enjoy the familiar not for
what it could become, but for what it is. That is the only stable basis for
a long-term, satisfying relationship. Dopamine, the neurotransmitter
whose purpose is  to  maximize future rewards, starts us  down the  road 
to love. It revs our desires, illuminates our imagination, and draws us
into a relationship on an incandescent promise. But when it comes to
love, dopamine is  a  place to  begin, not  to  finish. It  can  never be  satis-
fied. Dopamine can only say, “More.”