Our Brains and Serotonin - Part 1 -- The Drive for Position

In the context of New Year’s resolutions, we discussed habitual behavior in a number of recent articles. In these articles, we focused on the role of dopamine in forming our habits. We have also mentioned the role of serotonin, but more peripherally. This is because serotonin is more subtle, but it is in many ways more important in driving the strategic process of advancing positions. Serotonin is the “status-seeking” brain hormone, that is, the hormone that gives us the incentive to improve our positions in life.

We define good strategy as seeking to gradually and continually improve our positions in the minds of others. This goal seems driven simply by logic. Since others determine our rewards in life, our goal is to win their support and discourage their opposition. However, a practical strategy is also driven by our brains’ chemistry. To advance our positions, we must understand how the brains of others work in bestowing rewards and how our brains work in seeking to improve ourselves.

Strategically, we need to influence others both in their conscious awareness and unconscious feelings. At the same time, we need to channel the powers of our unconscious brains to help us improve ourselves. This is exactly the role of serotonin. Serotonin motivates our brains to seek higher social status. Just as dopamine rewards us for meeting challenges, serotonin rewards us for winning better positions.

Serotonin and Survival