[agumonkey]

I'd bet a few dollars that this is the most common answer. A little piece of anecdata, being stuck, jobless and confidentless due to too much of this dopamine rush theory, i did propose to write something for my 'boss', at a food store, a little single user vue app [0].

a few conclusion :

- i did actually deliver something functional (for a change)

- i still had twenty thousand dreamy ideas (as noted in a lengthy TODO file)

- doing something for someone else changes our your brain rolls. you dream less because you want to make them happy

- it was painful at times, dealing with constraints

- but solving these was a good feeling. a bit less exciting but longer lasting. a feeling of knowing more and deeper (much unlike dreamy brainstorming)

- it makes you operate for true progress, you aim at surgical advances instead of abstract designs. that is a great thing. sobering

my 2 cents

[0] the theory behind it was that I'd do something simple, without pressure, that I may sell, or at least put on my resume (vuejs being trendy)..

[mcdevilkiller]

I feel so related to the third point.

[agumonkey]

I think it's a subtle but important one actually, the dopamine rush is a bit a self pleasuring quest, so thinking for others is already a step in the right direction

That's also an idea I keep having about general adult life, career and happiness. Youth is all about intense self satisfaction, but running this race too long is a dead end, and it should be hinted that working for other citizen is actually a good thing for you (because it avoids this dead end)