We would like to take a closer look at why pornography is so addictive. Through our evolution, we all have the urge to pass on our genes. Our brains can’t tell the difference between sex and masturbating to porn and that’s why masturbating is so addictive. Porn has become more and more intense over time and we are bombarded with stimuli that real sex can no longer give us.
The first problem: porn is always available
We can basically say that our reward system simply can’t keep up with the 24/7 availability of porn. As the word reward system suggests, it makes us humans strive for things that make us feel good. So when we go to the gym, the reward system makes us feel good about our bodies and we tend to go back to the gym. But it also works the other way around and here the reward system has a very negative effect on our lives.
Our reward system cannot limit itself when we have too much of one thing. When our brains evolved, there was no such thing as too much food or sex. If we look around in today’s world, we see people eating themselves to death or going into depression through massive porn and sex addiction.
So you have to understand that we no longer live in a world of scarcity but of abundance. And our brain has very big problems with this. Let me give you another simple example. Sugar, for example, is a source of energy and used to help us a lot. If you used to find fruit, for example, it could ensure your survival. But now, if you eat a bar at a friend’s house, your brain thinks you’ve found this fruit and so you eat the whole packet. And porn is always available, anytime from anywhere and nobody knows it. You are now symbolizing to your brain that you are reproducing, which is why porn is so addictive.
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