the pleasure principle

So I am stuck home on a Friday night...a FRIDAY night. Oh well, this isn't the first time. I've naturally evolved into somewhat of a hermit these days and the lounge/club scene isn't as fun unless I have my lubber with me- in due time though. =) Don't y'all worry though, just because I'm shackled up right now doesn't mean that I'm not going to be like a bat out of hell when it comes to the dance flo'. Back up! (**By the way, this picture of Lats is what happens when he hits the clubs alone- he starts getting gae up in dat joint. ** LOL!!!)

I am somewhat of a "self-help" junkie in that I am always trying to get my hands on any literature that explains how to improve one's life. Sometimes all it takes is some common sense, but sometimes I struggle with that since I'm more of a cerebral, go-by-the book gal. Oh well, I'll learn the hard way. In an effort to satiate my "self-help" desires, I came across an article in this month's Reader's Digest talking about the importance of pleasure in one's life.

It's a small little blurb, but I'll share it with you nonetheless:

New Pleasure Principles

We talked with University of Oxford neuroscientist Morten Kringelbach, author of the upcoming book The Pleasure Center, about his revolutionary research and our constant craving to feel good.

Can pleasure be used as medicine? We can implant electrodes in the brain of a person in pain. When we stimulate the right spots, almost magically the pain goes away. The relief is very pleasurable. This can help people with depression too.

Can I get an electrode just for fun? It wouldn't work. The brain balances itself, and while you can help restore that balance temporarily, you can't permanently swing it one way or the other. That's why many people, even those who aren't getting any treatment, will probably come out of depression within a year.

What do people find most pleasurable in their daily lives? Sex. But No. 2 is being with friends. Most everything we find pleasurable, including eating and drinking, is so much better when doing it with someone else.

Can you help us cure addictions such as overeating? It hasn't been tested yet, but deep-brain electrodes may help restore the balance of selective satiety mechanisms in the brain-the signals that tell us enough is enough. People who are obese may not have the selective satiation that thin people do.

Why do we sometimes feel guilty about indulging in pleasure? Guilt is like a built-in stop valve. If we overindulge in one thing, such as sex, food, or drugs, it can become an addiction that we feed to the exclusion of the thing that gives us the most long-term pleasure-other people.

How can we live a more pleasurable life? There's no magic here. Enjoy your family and friends, and work less. The simplest pleasures really are the best ones.

**Okay back to me- I wish I could get some sort of electrode treatment that would stop me from shopping! Luckily, the guilt sets in after I buy something, which lets me know that I've done something wrong, but then the cycle starts all over again. My latest addiction seems to be running shoes (a.k.a. "rubber shoes"), so lets hope my psyche learns to get addicted to something cheap like gum or candy.

Enjoy the weekend,

P