Dopamine Nation: Reason for Sexual Assault, Workplace Bullying, and Bribery

ANXIOUS? Annoyed? Impatient? Are you trying to shower yourself with feelings of joy, pleasure and contentment fast?

In today’s age of normalising “instant gratification,” it probably will not hurt to reflect and achieve your personalised targets and goals by first eliminating this norm.

A nation filled with dopamine thirst creatures who cannot wait to get their wants non-stop in a blink of an eye.  Instant gratification may not always be a bad thing.

Drinking water when thirsty, going to the bathroom when you need to, or eating when hungry are all things that we must do in an instant to survive. We are born with it.

Additionally, thanks to technology, we no longer have to wait for much of anything. Want the news right now? There is probably a breaking news notification on your phone. Need papers, rice, or a new blazer? Order those up and have them delivered in no time.

However, “on-demand” has not quite caught up in self-education; hence the lack of personal ethics’ practices. Be it at educational institutions or our workplace, sure, we can get instant messages to stay in contact with fellow friends and colleagues, but how quickly can we tick all our need-and-want-to-do list or accomplish our personal and professional goals?

What happens when we do not get immediate yeses to those wants and demands? Instant gratification refers to the experience of receiving immediate satisfaction or pleasure from a particular action or behaviour.

As we are mostly currently addicted to fast and instant reward hence becoming a dopamine nation, how then do we motivate ourselves to succeed with integrity?  What are the narratives or “stories” we inculcate into ourselves regarding achieving success, taking opportunities and more?

I may be wrong but I believe our nation has embraced an instant gratification mindset when it comes to success. It is deeply ingrained in cultural values, where personal, academic and professional excellence is often equated with monetary worth and societal perception resulting in greed.

The supposed picturesque outer layer of what things may seem like. Not the real deal, obviously. 

This had led to negative and unethical generational practices like bribery, sexual assault and workplace bullying continuously being exercised. This has got to stop.

Gladly, many of these cases are being unfolded back-to-back and make known to the public. More awareness there, I hope. 

In contrast, there are narratives of delayed gratification. This perspective emphasises the vast potential for growth, creativity, and innovation within the educational and professional growth.

It acknowledges that success does not happen overnight and it takes a lot of determination and perseverance. It is a never-ending journey. Long or short? Do not stress.

Enjoy your journey, enjoy the process and take your time to grow and learn.

Delayed gratification is a learned skill that will allow you to regain your self-control and help you to live life with more purpose. Practicing delayed gratification can also help increase your overall confidence.

Knowing that you can control your impulses and that you are completing all the steps necessary to make your goals a reality is also truly a wonderful feeling. 

Looking at the societal issues which have been bombarding us non-stop does not only pose a sense of horror but small immediate changes are necessary to stop this chronic disease.

Apply it to other areas in life: Sleeping in versus going to class, staying on social media rather than going to bed early, succumbing and falling for a get rich quick scheme instead of strategic planning and managing your money and the list goes on. What do all these examples have in common?

The decisions that deliver immediate gratification win over the delayed gratifying option. It starts with you.

Humans appear to have different hardships when being exposed to such decisions. This is because of the tendency to prioritise short-term satisfaction over long-term benefits due to the brain’s natural inclination for instant gratification and the thrive to fulfil immediate desires.

The solution to this: The Art of Patience.  God never said the road will be easy, but it is mentioned that, “I will be with those who have patience.”

Start small by practicing patience every single day. First, set realistic goals; second, focus on the positives; next, face difficulties with an open mind after; always, take a deep breath or crying it out; and finally, learn to let go. Not everything is meant for you all at the same time. 

SYAZUIN SAZALI is a Subject Matter Expert in soft skills. In each writing, she aims to share an actionable short idea, quotes from others and 1 question for you to ponder upon. Linkedin & Instagram: @syazuinsazali, Email: [email protected]. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of Sinar Daily.