What The Molecule of More Taught Me About Dopamine, Drive, and Why We’re Never Fully Satisfied
Why do we always want more — more success, more achievement, more excitement — even when we already have enough? In The Molecule of More, psychiatrist Daniel Lieberman and writer Michael Long break down how one molecule — dopamine — silently drives everything from creativity and ambition to addiction and anxiety.
This isn’t just a neuroscience book. It’s a practical, eye-opening look at how dopamine shapes our decisions, relationships, and long-term satisfaction — often without us realising it.
🧠 What the Book Is About
The central idea is this: dopamine isn’t about pleasure — it’s about pursuit. It’s not the molecule of happiness. It’s the molecule of wanting, chasing, and imagining what’s next.
Lieberman and Long explain the two major brain systems:
- Dopaminergic (future-focused): responsible for planning, motivation, and exploration
- Here-and-now (present-focused): linked to contentment, connection, and sensory experience
Our modern world, they argue, overstimulates dopamine — which can leave us restless, distracted, and never quite satisfied.
💡 What I Took Away
1. Motivation isn’t random — it’s chemical
Understanding how dopamine works helped me recognise why I often chase new goals, but struggle to enjoy the moment. It’s not just mindset.
2. Dopamine loves novelty — not completion
This explains why we can start 10 things and finish none. Why we scroll endlessly. Why “the next thing” always feels more exciting. The molecule is wired for seeking — not satisfaction.
3. Balance comes from engaging the present-focused brain
Relationships, nature, food, music — these activate the brain’s “here-and-now” circuits. We need both systems, but too much dopamine dominance = disconnection, anxiety, and burnout.
📖 Science Meets Everyday Life
This book takes complex neuroscience and makes it readable, relatable, and often funny. There’s no jargon. Just smart explanations and powerful applications — in work, love, politics, creativity, and health.
As someone with a background in psychology and data science, I appreciated how the book connects research to behaviour — especially in the sections on mental health, addiction, and long-term satisfaction.
📌 Who This Book Is For
This book is perfect for:
- Curious minds who want to understand why we do what we do
- Anyone feeling stuck in a cycle of “more” — but never “enough”
- Writers, creatives, coaches, and professionals interested in motivation and neuropsychology
If you’re interested in brain-based behaviour change, this one’s a must-read.
⭐ Final Thoughts
The Molecule of More helps you see your thoughts, desires, and habits through a new lens — the lens of dopamine.
Once you understand how it works, you can stop being driven by it… and start using it strategically.
👉 Find the book here: The Molecule of More by Daniel Lieberman & Michael Long – Amazon UK