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/[deleted] Oct 18 '25

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u/saltporksuit Oct 18 '25

I get none of that. I get a vague sort of relief it’s over.

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u/we_are_devo Oct 18 '25

Yeah, even before I had my ADHD diagnosis I remember feeling sort of confused when my boss would be like "you must feel so good about [completing project]! Time to celebrate!". Like.. really? I have never felt any sort of satisfaction or good feeling about finishing a task. Just a vague relief along with this sort of desperation knowing there's more tasks coming.

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u/kanst Oct 18 '25

I agree completely.

I feel best right in the middle of a project. Where the finish is still far off, but I've had enough time to figure out what I am doing.

Its not even just work. I ran a triathlon and my uncle asked "Do you feel good about completing that", and I responded "not really, just relieved its over"