Anticipation

If there is one thing that fascinates me it is the processes and chemical-psychological responses of the human brain. I was on a plane last night reading this article in Money magazine about how the inner workings of your brain can effect your investment strategy. Several of the points and scientific studies discussed in the article were related to how the anticipation of a reward creates a much stronger response in the brain than the actual receipt of the reward. This scientific look at the 'thrill of the chase' is very interesting to me. I find myself in a constant state of anticipation as of late. Not in an investment scenario, but in life in general. There are several things that I have identified as goals, whether situational or tangible, and the pursuit of these things is something I take very seriously. I have become very focused on the impact of my actions on delaying or moving closer to my intended 'reward'. Do I always move forward? Probably not. But I have wondered if the realization of said goals would prove disappointing, or more accurately, has my anticipation of the goal exaggerated my perception of the reward?

The article, which again was geared primarily toward investments and financial goals, cited an experiment by a neuroscientist at Stanford University. The study engaged subjects in a sort of investment video game while they were placed in a fMRI, which pinpoints momentary changes in the level of oxygen as blood flows in and out of the brain, allowing the researchers to map the neural regions involved in a particular task. The subjects were to select shapes that would then award them an amount of money or subtract from their winnings, with varying lengths of time between the selection and the reveal. Certain shapes were designed to either create huge wins or huge losses, and others only minor variations. When a shape came up that had previously represented a big, easy payout the subjects claimed that there was a wave of expectation that swept through them, and the researchers noted that the neurons in the reflexive, or emotional, part of the brain (the nucleus accumbens… in case you care) fired like crazy. The anticipation of a large reward set off twice as strong a signal as a small one. This, to me, was not a big revelation. What I did find very interesting was that learning the actual outcome of their actions created a significantly diminished response in the brain. Whether the win was large or small, the neurons in the nucleus accumbens fired much less intensely than when they were hoping to get it. One researcher asserted that our anticipation circuitry acts as a 'beacon of incentive'… enabling us to pursue rewards that can be earned only with patience and commitment. As such, if we received no pleasure from imagining 'riches' down the road, we would grab only at those gains that loom immediately in front of us. However, this 'seeking system' is a double-edged sword. We experience heightened awareness of the possibility of coming rewards, but we also expect that the future will feel better than it actually does when it turns into the present.

As it applies to financial gain, I find no cause to argue with this theory. But how does this apply to other 'rewards' such as personal goals or relationships? Certainly there is evidence to support that many find much more enjoyment in the seeking and conquering of a love interest than the actual relationship that follows. There is a undeniable thrill to the chase… the science and the skill and the challenge that it presents. A hunter can find incredible enjoyment in spending an entire season out tracking the kill, without ever completing his mission. But does a starving man, who has traveled many miles to satisfy his hunger, find himself disappointed in the feast? Possibly my answer lies in the goal itself. If the reward is simply something that you would enjoy, then maybe the anticipation could outweigh the actual acquisition. But if the reward is something that you have longed for, ached for, suffered for… then I still have to believe that our brain's response, when broken down into its simplest chemical form, could be nothing less than satisfaction and contentment… and joy.

What then of my previous question: Does anticipation of a goal exaggerate the perception of the reward? I think this is less a question of brain function than it is a conscious effort that we must make to remain realistic about our goals, and to allow a reward to be imperfect but no less satisfying. Without question, hours spent dreaming of what it will be like once we achieve an intended result can and often do result in an exaggerated fantastical ideal. When working toward, or waiting for, or even just hoping for a circumstance or an acquisition, if we aren't honest with ourselves about the possible difficulties and faults and trials that may come along with it, then certainly we are setting ourselves up for disappointment. But I believe that if we can see our goal for what it really is, and still work just as diligently… and find joy even in the imperfections… then our commitment and our patience is not wasted, it is… rewarded… with a return that far outweighs our investment.