my story thus far…

from a book i’m reading right now (at 3:40 a.m., owing to a couple hours spent waiting on a malfunctioning coin dryer):

When an experience becomes familiar and boring, even if previously it had been stimulating and pleasurable, then the dopamine nerve cells remain essentially quiescent — until another novel event occurs, at which point the firing rate again increases, drawing attention to the new situation.
— Peter Whybrow, MD “American Mania: When More is Not Enough“