Did you know that dopamine also is known as a learning hormone?

When you learn something new, especially if it's challenging or you've been anticipating it, your brain can release dopamine. 

This acts as a reward signal, reinforcing the behavior that led to the learning. 

I heard this just recently, but it makes sense, in many ways. 

Some of the greatest joy I have felt, was when I understood new ideas.

An even better I experience I've had a few times, was when I met someone who had a different idea than mine, and our two ideas melted into a new, third idea.

This felt almost like magic.

I'm pretty sure my brain was showered in dopamine when it happened.

The reinforcement that dopamine creates can motivate you to continue learning or to repeat the behaviors that led to the learning experience.

It's probably addictive.

I suspect that one of the reasons why so many kids turn to drugs these days, is that they learn too little at school.

They need dopamine to be happy, and when they can't get it naturally, they take drugs to get it.

If you are aware of any research that investigates the relationship between lack of dopamine release naturally as a result of too little learning and drug abuse, let me know.