Curiosity and Pleasure

Have you also found the "unbelievable pleasure of spirit" mentioned by Copernicus in learning and satisfying your curiosity? Researchers (Kang et al., nd) have reported a relationship between the caudate nucleus and curiosity. This area of the brain is also activated when enjoying food and sex. It appears that the same neural pathway is activated for intellectual investigation as for the most primal pleasures. 

The caudate nucleus (see attached MRI photo) is also activated in response to visual beauty, and there appears that there may be a connection between aesthetics and search for knowledge. A number of studies have suggested that in viewing art there is preference for mystery, for examples, scenes that hint at something the viewer cannot see, such as a path that goes into the distance (see the photo example, I attached). It appears that things we do not yet know give us pleasure. 

How can this information be applied to your dissertation? Recognize the times of searching for information and the pleasure when you find answers. This is separate from the relief of getting something accomplished; it is an innate pleasure of knowing the answer to a piece of the puzzle. Use this as a reward along the way to completing your project. 

Next time we will begin summer break. Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Would you like to be a guest writer? Send me your ideas! leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu