Licking the Razor's Edge (2015)

What is especially interesting, at least as far as this chapter is concerned, is that we
humans experience the same dopamine “fix” whenever we hear and register a piece of
new information. Processing the characteristics of our surroundings is perceived to be
valuable to our continued survival, and so we are chemically rewarded for doing so.
In this way, we become physically addicted to knowledge.
The second manner in which we become hooked on information is a psychologicalemotional
one. Every time we apply a few “fact” to our lives and a positive result ensues,
we remember our success and subconsciously look for similar information in all our
future encounters. As we continue to gather more and more “facts” similar to those that
brought us pleasure in the past, we begin to mold those “facts” into a belief system. In
this way, we become emotionally addicted to the “facts” that harmonize with our beliefs,
and to reject, ignore or avoid those that don’t.
Every time we encounter a piece of information that “fits” our world view, we feel secure
and comfortable – and dopamine is released as an encouragement to search for similar
information that will duplicate the effect. In contrast, every time we encounter a bit of
knowledge that is either unfamiliar or contradictory to our world view, we shy away from
it – no dopamine is released, and we look for different, “more accurate” information
elsewhere. In this way, we become psycho-emotionally addicted to looking for — and
finding — “the facts”.
“News, particularly daily news, is more addictive than crack cocaine, more addictive
than heroin, more addictive than cigarettes. ” ~ Dan Rather
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