According to athlete, artist, and author Gregory Burns, a large amount of dopamine is released when we encounter something unexpected or when we take actions we’ve never taken before—in other words, when we feel that something is new.
"It’s only when we are otherwise engaged—you know, focused, absorbed, inspired, communicating, discovering, learning—dancing, for heaven’s sake!—that we experience happiness as a by-product, a side effect. Oh, no, we should concern ourselves not so much with the pursuit of happiness, but with the happiness of pursuit. —Hector and the Search for Happiness"