The End of Civilization, The Beginning of Emotion

The world fell into a vast silence. The skyscrapers that once boasted human greatness lay scattered toward the sky like broken teeth. For the survivor, Jun, happiness became a word like an ancient relic found only in museums. Everything he once believed to be happiness—stable jobs, bigger apartments, others’ approval—had vanished into ashes. What remained in his empty world was the cold reality of survival.

Chapter 1: The Survival Signal Sent by the Brain, ‘Pleasure’

Jun’s days were filled with animalistic instincts: finding a safe place to sleep, quenching burning thirst, and satisfying brutal hunger. Then he found a rusty canned food. The moment he opened the can and put its contents in his mouth, a powerful thrill ran through his entire brain. This was not just a taste. It was the most primal and exhilarating ‘reward’ his brain sent for successfully surviving.

There is a fact we often forget: humans are, after all, animals. And the reason the animal brain is equipped with the emotion called ‘happiness’ is not to seek a noble meaning of life. It is a highly practical ‘survival traffic light’ designed to increase survival chances.

• Green light (pleasure, happiness): “That’s it! This behavior is very good for survival. Keep doing it!” (e.g., eating food, maintaining body temperature)
• Red light (pain, anxiety): “Danger! This situation threatens survival. Stop immediately or avoid it!” (e.g., injury, isolation from the group)

The joy Jun felt from the canned food was like a stamp of approval from his brain, praising him for successfully completing the mission of survival.

Chapter 2: Why Happiness Must Melt Like Ice Cream

Canned food was not found again. But Jun was lucky to find a safe water source and a small garden. In the first few days, even a sip of water or a small berry brought him joy, but over time, that joy gradually became routine. Where did the intense happiness he first felt go?

This is the phenomenon called ‘Hedonic Adaptation.’ If the joy of winning the lottery lasted forever, humans would stop making any effort and settle into reality, eventually becoming obsolete. Our brains intentionally set a short shelf life for happiness to keep us continuously performing the task of survival. Like ice cream, happiness is designed to melt at its sweetest moment.

This design teaches us an important lesson: happiness is not something gained in one big moment but something to be experienced ‘frequently and modestly,’ like tasting ice cream that melts often.

Chapter 3: Humanity’s Greatest Survival Weapon, ‘People’

One day, Jun spotted a small moving figure beyond the ashen world. It was ‘Hana,’ another human he had met for the first time in months. The emotion Jun felt at that moment was far greater and more overwhelming than all the joys of survival combined. It was as if all the happiness circuits in his brain exploded at once. Why did he feel such immense joy compared to finding food or water?

From an evolutionary perspective, humans were physically weak beings. We had no sharp claws or tough armor. Our only survival weapon was the ability to band together—our social nature. Survival was only possible when hunting together, raising children together, and guarding against danger together.

Therefore, our brains are designed to perceive the presence of ‘people’ as the greatest reward.

• Joy of social connection: A positive signal that survival chances have sharply increased.
• Pain of loneliness and isolation: A strong ‘red light’ warning that survival is threatened by separation from the group.

The warm gaze and awkward conversation shared between Jun and Hana were not just emotional exchanges. They were the most powerful survival confirmation signals imprinted in humanity’s DNA for millions of years, saying, “Now we can survive together.”

Chapter 4: Is My Introverted Happiness Blueprint Wrong?

In civilized society, Jun considered himself an introvert. After-work gatherings or weekend meetings often felt more like energy drains than enjoyment. But with Hana, it was different. Time spent with her brought no fatigue; it made him feel alive.

This phenomenon occurs because the complexity of modern society conflicts with our primal blueprint. Our ancestors’ societies were small communities of about 100 to 150 people. Interactions there were sincere, deep relationships directly tied to survival. But in modern society, we live with numerous strangers in superficial and competitive relationships, which exhausts our brains greatly.

Jun realized he didn’t dislike people; he was just tired of ‘modern relationships’ that lacked the warmth of survival. The relationship with the one person he met at the end of the world perfectly satisfied the ‘happiness blueprint’ imprinted in his brain. The reason extroverts tend to be happier is simply that they approach the ‘most certain source of happiness’—people—more frequently and actively. The blueprint itself is embedded equally in all of us.

Happiness Is Not a Destination but a Compass

Jun and Hana built a small home together. Their lives no longer included words like honor, wealth, or success. Yet when they shared the small fruits they harvested or leaned on each other’s warmth to watch the stars at night, they were undeniably happy.

Jun realized that the ‘meaningful life’ he chased before and the ‘happiness’ he now felt were different. ‘Meaning’ is a high-level story created by human reason, but ‘happiness’ is a deeply animalistic and instinctive signal sent by our bodies. We often miss the sparkling signals of ‘happiness’ right here and now while chasing grand ‘meaning.’

Even if the world ends, happiness does not disappear. In fact, only after all the shells are stripped away does its essence become clear. Happiness is not the final destination we must reach. It is an ancient compass installed within us, telling us we are on the right path for survival. Today, what is your compass trembling toward? Listen closely to that small, warm tremor.