Imagine you’re walking to work on a familiar street, one you’ve traveled many times before. All of a sudden you notice that a new bakery has opened, one you’ve never seen. You immediately want to go in and see what they have. That’s dopamine taking charge, and it produces a feeling different from enjoying how something tastes, feels, or looks. It’s the pleasure of anticipation—the possibility of something unfamiliar and better. You’re excited about the bakery, yet you haven’t eaten any of their pastries, sampled any of their coffee, or even seen how it looks inside.
