The Hacking of the American Mind: an interesting look into the blurred lines between pleasure and happiness

The Hacking of the American Mind by Robert H. Lustig, MD, MSL, is the result of a discovery he made while researching and writing his New York Times bestseller Fat Chance, that the pursuit of happiness has been taken over by a culture of addiction and depression as well as pleasure being confused with happiness. He starts by explaining the differences between dopamine and serotonin. Dopamine is the “reward” neurotransmitter that tells our brains we want more and substances and behaviors that release dopamine in the extreme lead to addiction. Serotonin is the “contentment” neurotransmitter that tells our brains that we don’t need any more and when it is in short supply, it leads to depression. Ideally, both neurotransmitters are needed. Dr. Lustig then presents studies, societal roles and government policies in the past 40 years that have promoted the pursuit of pleasure combined with the constant stress that has led to an epidemic of addiction, anxiety, depression, and chronic disease. The American people have been successfully imprisoned in an endless loop of desire, consumption and disease which escape is extremely difficult. As he presents a very hopeless picture, he offers a plan, a call to action that we can take back our health, well-being and the pursuit of happiness on our own terms. 

The Hacking of the American Mind was recommended to me by my cousin-in-law. I was intrigued by the premise. Divided into five parts, Lustig breaks down the biochemistry of dopamine (the pleasure neurotransmitter) and serotonin (the contentment neurotransmitter) and how they are produced and function in the brain, and how advertisers and the governments has “hacked” our minds into believing that pleasure is the same as happiness. He also offers a way that people can break free from this “hacking.” He proposes what he calls the Four Cs: Connect, Contribute, Cope, and Cook. There were a lot that I liked about the book. The sections on biochemistry, while scientific, are broken down in a way that it helps the reader understand why these two neurotransmitters are important. It is relatable as how sugar has invaded the food supply and has created a host of health issues. I liked that he admitted that obesity doesn’t always mean an individual is unhealthy. There were a few things I disliked about the book as well. Dr. Lustig is a bit preachy and condescending. At one point, he discusses studies on happiness, he states that 43% of Americans are unhappy, at least “those who admit it.” So anyone who claims to be happy is lying? Some may lie but not everyone. He takes some subtle and unnecessary political jabs that it’s obvious where he lies politically. While presenting the whys to our health issues, he often ignores other causes that happen along with the others. Overall, I recommend The Hacking of the American Mind as it is worth the read. 

The Hacking of the American Mind is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook. 

Sex and the Bible: not just for procreation

I read online recently that someone made the claim that sex is bad, evil and dirty to Christians. I serious dislike the generalization because while there are churches which teach people to feel dirty about enjoying sex but there are many churches which see sex as it was intended to be. Sex was designed by God to be a gift to a husband and wife. What is the purpose of sex? The Bible gives us a very romantic and intimate story in the Song of Songs. If sex is a gift from God, how did it become bad, evil and dirty?

When asked what the purpose of sex is, many people will immediately say “procreation.” Yes, sex is how humans procreate but there’s more to sex than just the production of children. Another purpose of sex is for intimacy and enjoyment in marriage. Yes, sex was designed for marriage. Sex within marriage can be a relationship builder. Outside of marriage, it can destroy relationships and people. Proverbs 5:18-20 says “A loving doe, a graceful deer; may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love. Why be captivated, my son by an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another man’s wife?” God does not intend faithfulness in marriage to be boring, pleasureless and dull. This is certainly the world’s image of marriage aka “the old ball and chain.” Sex is a gift God gives to married couples for their mutual enjoyment. Real happiness comes when we decide to find pleasure in the relationship God has given us and commit ourselves to making it pleasurable.

Song of Songs, or in some translations Song of Solomon, is an intimate story of a man and woman, their love, courtship and marriage. The most explicit statements on sex in the Bible are in this book. For example, chapter 7:7-8, “Your stature is like that of a palm, and your breasts like clusters of fruit. I said, “I will climb the palm tree; I will take hold of its fruit.’” It is a wedding song honoring marriage with three speakers. First, Lover, which tradition holds is a young King Solomon before he was obsessed with women, sex and pleasure and represents the husband in a marriage. Second, Beloved is a Jewish maiden he falls in love with and becomes his wife. Third, friends who encourage the couple as they fall in love. The purity and sacredness of love is represented in this book. One of my favorite verses is “Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.” It is a phase that is repeated three times in chapter 2 verse 7, chapter 3 verse 5, and chapter 8 verse 4. It is repeated because it is important to know that true love isn’t rushed. It blooms when the time is right. Another favorite verse is “My lover is mine and I am his (2:15 and 6:3), some translations use the word beloved. In a marriage, a husband and wife belong to each other. They are one body united by God and by love.

If God had created sex and intimacy for marriage, how sex became bad, evil and dirty? Easy, man did. Even within the Christian church, man took a beautiful expression of love, a gift from God and made it a thing to be tolerated. The idea that women shouldn’t enjoy sex was dictated by man.  It is hard to say in Judaism or Christianity, the thoughts on sex are simple because it ignores the different sects or denominations of each faith. However, in my research, I found that in Judaism, “a man may do with his wife as he wishes provided, he has her consent” (Judaism and Sex), which means any sexual acts between consenting spouses is not forbidden. In Christianity and especially in the history, things get murkier. “Christianity remains among the most “sex-positive” religions, even if segments of the church have on one hand, cloaked it in shame or, on the other, given it a mystical power bordering on idolatry” (Sex and Sexuality). St Augustine (354-430) and other theologians promoted the idea that sexual desire was a sin (Kuruvilla). Other church leaders would go further and state that being too passionately in love or having sex for pleasure was a sin (Kuruvilla). These ideas are far from what the Bible teaches as I have statement on above. Lust and desire for your spouse is an expression of love; however, it needs to be only for your spouse.

In conclusion, sex is a beautiful expression of love between a husband and a wife. A beautiful thing that has been twisted and distorted through the ages by men in power. Unfortunately, the effects are those policies and ideas are still seen today in many churches and many who resist God because of what they think they know. Our society has such a distorted attitude about love and marriage that for many people love equals sex and getting married is just to have a party. Sex is only one expression of love. It is important in a marriage, but it is not the only thing. Sex is a gift from God. It is to be an expression of love between a husband and a wife. It is to be motivated by love and commitment.

References

Judaism and Sex www.myjewishlearning.com/article/judaism-and-sex-questions-and-answers/

Retrieved February 9, 2019

Kuruvilla, Carol. 6 Things you probably didn’t know about Christianity and Sex (February 26, 2016) www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/christianity-and-sex_us_56cb6dc1e4b0ec6725e371d5 Retrieved February 9, 2019

Sex and Sexuality www.christianitytoday.com/ct/topics/s/sex-and-sexuality/ Retrieved February 9, 2019