Jay Parini: The hardest thing to understand about money is the thrill of the chase. Something that you can easily afford brings less joy than something you must save for and struggle for, he says. Your brain does not want nice cars or a big house or fancy jewelry; your brain just wants dopamine,. That's all you are after.Parini: For material possessions, you want everything that you can't have. You want the chase of obtaining something new.