Over the years, many people have discussed suicide and unhappiness in Japan. Some blame culture and work for such results that in reality are not as great as people make them out to be. I have already made it clear in another article that the Japanese are not depressed or unhappy, but there are still doubts about the matter.
Looking for answers about happiness I came to a small conclusion that being too happy ends up making us sad. The reality is that everything in excess is bad, eating too much, sleeping too much, talking too much, working too much and many other things.
Happiness is often the result of dopamine, a motivating hormone capable of giving satisfaction, pleasure and joy. With it you are able to perform and seek actions in order to find happiness. The big problem is that if you seek too much happiness, you will end up unhappy.
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The effect of dopamine on the lives of the Japanese
Dopamine is also often closely linked to sexual desires, with some researchers claiming that porn addicts end up lowering their dopamine levels as they look for more extreme things to indulge themselves. Which can result in depression, anxiety and even health problems.
Japan is one of the countries with the biggest pornographic industry in the world. If you try to study this universe, you will see a huge amount of young virgins, without relationships and pornographic material quite strange compared to the West. Full of fetishes, strange and forbidden things to satisfy those who consume this material.
Dopamine even earns the nickname the “addiction molecule” and is present in things like drugs, alcohol, and even video games. These fun, harmless-seeming things dramatically boost the brain's dopamine reward system. Japan is the perfect setting for those looking to fill up on dopamine bliss.
We have a scenario full of games, anime, pornography, landscapes, mountains, temples, museums, castles, concert halls, karaoke, bars, shops and many other places to entertain the population. Something normal that exists in any country, but Japan's capitalism features a very addictive thing called news.
Japan is the land of novelty and fun
If we always do the same things, we will end up getting sick and not feeling joy in it. That's why dopamine stimulates us to seek novelties and new forms of pleasure. Humans have always been obsessed with new and shocking things. Just look at what is popular these days: gossip, controversy and generalized events.
If you create informational, cultural and general content most people don't care. Now if you write something controversial, widespread, scary, shocking and cheesy, people start sharing it and filling it with comments like there's no tomorrow.
When we Westerners see Japan and its culture, we become passionate and interested in enjoying the countless new features and possibilities of entertainment that the country offers. But for the Japanese, these things are normal, including the novelty factor, which means that many don't care as much, or are surprised like us.
The consumption power of the Japanese, along with the countless possibilities that they can enjoy, ends up drastically decreasing the levels of dopamine in their bodies. For this reason some Japanese work without any purpose in life. They have no motivation or pleasure of their own. They look for something new but can't find more.
Many Japanese can find happiness in small things. Others enjoy themselves so much that they can't maintain the proper level of dopamine in their body. The Japanese are famous for being dedicated, which can end up bringing some disappointment when reaching certain dreams and goals.
Too much happiness causes unhappiness
Some believe that happiness comes from accomplishments and things they have. Some try so hard for money thinking about a future but end up not enjoying anything. Some are empty and dissatisfied even after fulfilling their desires or caring too much about pleasures.
People seek happiness through dopamine too much, and many end up frustrated. We must seek happiness through our emotional using another hormone called oxytocin. Things like a hug, kiss and words are able to release a lot of oxytocin and bring much more happiness.
Trust and acceptance are essential oxytocin things that the Japanese seek daily. But unfortunately some are pressured, excluded and isolated which results in great unhappiness. Perhaps the problem is not with society but with the person who is seeking and making wrong choices in their friendships.
Of course, even too much oxytocin is bad for us and can make us dependent on emotions, people and a comfort zone. We can come to the conclusion that the problem is not in Japan or anywhere else in the world, happiness depends on our choices and priorities.
It's the media's fault that ends up influencing people the wrong way. Business and marketing psychologically study people to make their sales, presenting news and shocking things that you really don't need to be happy. It's really amazing how easily people are carried away by illusion!
So here's the tip and be careful not to do things in excess and end up finding a big void in your life. I would like to go into more detail on this subject, but it will get too long. What is your opinion on the matter? We appreciate the comments and shares.
