Novelty is the quality of being new, or following from that, of being striking, original or unusual. The brain is built to ignore the old and focus on the new.

Novelty is probably one of the most powerful signals to determine what we pay attention to in the World.

Novelty causes a number of brain systems to become activated, and foremost among these is the dopamine system.

People incorrectly think of dopamine as the ‘Feel-good’ neurotransmitter because drugs create that euphoria, however research shows that dopamine is more like the ‘Gimme more’ neurotransmitter.

The role of dopamine is not in the pleasure that one may get from the drug, but in establishing the craving that keeps one coming back for more and more and more and more.

What can we do to prevent ourselves from becoming novelty-seeking zombies? The first thing is to simply become mindful.

Evolution has given us the ability to overcome our urges, but we have to have the will to employ this control.