“Pleasure functions homeostatically at different scales. We saw that pleasure makes us act to keep our physiology functioning well. Pleasure as a way to maintain homeostasis extends from one person’s desire to eat something sweet or salty all the way to our collective enjoyment of beautiful people, pretty places, and elegant proofs. Through evolution, the species brings itself in line with the environment in order to function well. When the environment changes, the species needs to change into a new state.

Our brain that evolved to face the challenges of our past doesn’t always keep pace with our jet-propelled present. Our environment is changing rapidly. When we act in seemingly illogical ways, we are often observing the behavior of a brain behind its time. We intuitively understand barter exchanges, but don’t understand credit default swaps. As changes in our cultural environment accelerate, the link between our adapted predispositions and our present-day actions becomes increasingly attenuated. This attenuation between our instincts and behavior is an important point to keep in mind, especially as we think about art.”

Excerpt From: Anjan Chatterjee,. “The Aesthetic Brain”. Apple Books.