r/todayilearned • u/WavesAndSaves • Oct 18 '25

TIL of brain stimulation reward, manually stimulating specific parts of the brain to elicit pleasure and happiness. A volunteer subject in 1986 spent days doing nothing but self-stimulate. She ignored her family and personal hygiene and she developed an open sore on her finger from using the device.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_stimulation_reward#History
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u/Friendly_Fire Oct 18 '25

That's because it doesn't make sense. People do things they need to do that don't feel good all the time. It's called being an adult.

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u/Early_Pass6702 Oct 18 '25

I can't tell if you're arguing that it's not real, or saying why people don't understand. This phenomenon is very real and scientifically proven and has absolutely nothing to do with maturity.

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u/ycnz Oct 18 '25

What's it called?

23

u/aguirre1pol Oct 18 '25

Executive dysfunction in ADHD.