THE CONVERSATION: Why you keep buying books you don’t read (and why it feels so good)

The accumulation of unread books in one’s home, a phenomenon known as tsundoku, may not be simply an indicator of being busy or disorganized. Instead, it could be a manifestation of the brain's intricate response to anticipated rewards. When we come across something that promises enjoyment or discovery, the brain's reward system, primarily driven by dopamine, becomes activated.

This dopamine, often perceived as a simple pleasure chemical, plays a vital role in identifying opportunities that might prove valuable in the future. It's not solely about rewarding us after an event has occurred but often stimulating us in advance to pursue potentially valuable behaviors.

From an evolutionary standpoint, this makes sense. Our ancestors who were able to anticipate future rewards, such as finding food before they were hungry or sheltering before a storm arrived, had a distinct advantage over those who reacted only to immediate needs. This anticipation of rewards is also activated by the prospect of reading a book, even if it remains unread for weeks or months.

The anticipation of a pleasurable experience, like reading a book on a summer vacation or a rainy afternoon, can trigger reward pathways long before the book is even opened.

The brain's hippocampus, a structure closely associated with memory, also comes into play when we envision future experiences. It helps us reconstruct past experiences and create mental scenes of future experiences. As you imagine reading a book on a particular setting, the hippocampus assembles this future experience by binding together various memories of the past – the warmth of the sun, the scent of coffee, the sound of turning pages, and the comfort of your favorite chair.

Essentially, the brain uses memories of the past to rehearse pleasurable experiences that have not yet happened.

This anticipation of rewards may play a significant role in our overall sense of wellbeing. Positive anticipation has been found to enhance mood, boost motivation, and provide a buffer against everyday stress. In some instances, the anticipation of an event can be almost as rewarding as the event itself. Thus, the satisfaction derived from a pile of unread books could be attributed to the brain's ability to derive genuine pleasure from experiences that have not yet occurred.

This behavior might also be more pronounced in physical bookshops than online platforms, as the physical browsing engages more sensory, spatial, and reward systems, making discovery feel richer and more memorable.