The Neuroscience of Happiness: What Really Makes Us Happy?

By Dr. E.S. Krishnamoorthy

What truly makes us happy?

It’s a question we’ve all asked ourselves at some point — while watching a sunset, enjoying a good meal, or even just reflecting on our lives. But is happiness a fleeting emotion, or is it something more deeply rooted in our brains?

In this episode of The NeuroKrish Immersion, I sat down with the brilliant Professor Michael Trimble, a renowned neuropsychiatrist from University College London, to unpack the complex, fascinating science behind happiness — and the surprising ways our brain is wired to pursue it.

Is Happiness an Emotion — Or Something Else?

We often conflate happiness with momentary pleasure — like the high from a sweet dessert or a compliment. But Professor Trimble reminds us that in psychological terms, happiness isn’t classified as an emotion at all.

Instead, happiness is more of a longer-lasting state of well-being, a sustained positive orientation to life. Emotions like joy, sadness, anger, and fear are transient responses. Happiness, however, lies in the terrain of values, meaning, and contentment.

“People with a positive approach to life are more likely to call themselves happy,” says Professor Trimble.

And here’s something striking — while we assume that external factors like money, fame, or even romantic love make us happy, the truth is our inner narrative and self-perception play a far greater role.

The Brain on Happiness: Dopamine and Beyond

From a neurological standpoint, much of what we associate with happiness is linked to the brain’s reward circuitry — especially the neurotransmitter dopamine. This chemical fuels our motivation and drives us to seek pleasure, take risks, and pursue goals.

However, dopamine alone doesn’t account for enduring happiness. Other players in the brain — including serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins — contribute to feelings of connection, security, and calm.

Interestingly, different people experience happiness in different brain regions. For some, it’s tied to movement and activity. For others, it’s rooted in quiet reflection or creative expression. The “happy brain” isn’t one-size-fits-all.

The Paradox of Modern Happiness

Despite unprecedented access to comfort and technology, we’re witnessing rising levels of anxiety and depression worldwide. Why?

Because modern society has turned happiness into a commodity — something to be pursued, optimized, and performed. We’ve confused hedonic pleasure (feeling good) with eudaimonic fulfillment (being good and doing meaningful things).

Professor Trimble reflects on how ancient philosophers often had a more nuanced view. Happiness, to them, was not just about the self — it was about living in harmony with one’s values, contributing to the world, and finding inner peace.

“The pursuit of happiness today has become a solitary, sometimes desperate race,” he notes, “but true contentment is often relational — it comes through connection, purpose, and gratitude.”

So... Can We Train the Brain to Be Happy?

The good news is — yes, to some extent, we can.

Neuroscience shows that the brain is remarkably plastic. Practices like mindfulness, gratitude, altruism, and even music can physically rewire the brain’s circuitry to foster resilience and positivity.

This doesn’t mean ignoring pain or sadness. Rather, it’s about embracing the full spectrum of human emotion while cultivating habits that support long-term well-being.

Happiness Is Chemical — But Not Just That

Dopamine often steals the spotlight in happiness research. This neurochemical drives motivation, reward, and goal-directed behavior. Not surprisingly, individuals who are extroverted and inclined to take risks often show higher dopaminergic activity.

But dopamine isn’t acting alone. Serotonin, another key player, is responsible for regulating mood and emotional stability. When tryptophan, its precursor, is lowered in our diet, even healthy individuals report feeling low. Then there are endorphins and encephalins, the body’s natural painkillers, released after activities like exercise, bringing about mood elevation and a sense of vitality.

Together, these neurotransmitters form a powerful network connecting our emotional limbic brain to the rational neocortex. This interplay defines the emotional highs and lows that punctuate our experience of life.

Happiness in a Social Brain

What we often forget is that our brain doesn’t exist in isolation. We’re social beings, and the neuroscience of happiness reflects that truth.

Fairness, equity, and cooperation — concepts we might consider moral or social — light up the same reward circuits as winning money. Neuroimaging studies show that fair offers activate brain regions linked to pleasure more than unfair ones, even when the material value remains the same.

We are biologically wired to value connection, justice, and collaboration. A kind act, a moment of shared success, or the feeling of being treated fairly — all of these are neurologically rewarding.

Pleasure, Addiction, and the Loop of Wanting

Pleasure is complex. It emerges from the reward circuitry, largely powered by dopaminergic signaling and endorphins. This circuitry evolved to support survival — encouraging us to eat, reproduce, bond, and seek shelter.

But the same circuits are vulnerable to manipulation. Addictive substances and digital media can hijack these pathways, creating powerful feedback loops of anticipation and craving — without the holistic nourishment real-life pleasures offer.

This is where intention and awareness come in. Pleasure that emerges from meaningful, social, or creative engagement enhances well-being. Artificially induced pleasure, in contrast, can become empty repetition.

The Left Brain, Right Brain, and the Locus of Control

Does happiness have a side of the brain? Perhaps.

Left-brain dominant individuals tend to be more structured, duty-driven, and socially pragmatic. Right-brain dominant individuals, by contrast, are more emotionally sensitive, creative, and attuned to the finer textures of experience.

So, the seeking of happiness might be a right-brain function, while the sustaining of happiness — through structure and purpose — may lean left.

Another key factor is your locus of control. If you believe you have agency over your circumstances, you’re more likely to feel content. An external locus — the sense that life is happening to you — often leaves people vulnerable to stress.

Self-Actualization: The Higher Order of Happiness

To understand enduring happiness, we must revisit Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Once our basic and emotional needs are met — safety, love, esteem — we move toward self-actualization: the fulfillment that comes from living in alignment with our values and potential.

This state is not just psychologically fulfilling. It also corresponds with optimal activity in areas of the brain that link emotion, decision-making, and social engagement, including the orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate, and insular regions.

Whether you are rescuing a puppy or having a joyful evening with friends, your brain’s happiness circuitry is similarly activated. What matters is not just the activity, but your internal sense of meaning and connection within it.

What Makes a Happy Person?

Across research, a few traits consistently emerge:

These are not traits we are merely born with — they can be cultivated through reflection, therapy, habit, and mindful living.

In the End, Is Happiness in the Brain or the Mind?

The answer, as always, is nuanced.

Yes, happiness is tied to neurochemistry and specific brain structures. But simulating happiness is not the same as being happy. The pathway to lasting joy is something we can influence — through awareness, connection, purpose, and conscious choice.

“Perhaps we can all be happy,” I say to Professor Trimble, “if we truly put our minds to it.”

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