status games slides
Loretta G. Breuning PhDInner Mammal Instituteinnermammalinstitute.orgby Loretta Breuning, PhDRowman LittlefieldStatus GamesWhy We Play and How to Stop
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Sept. 8Rowman LittlefieldSBN-10 : 1538144190ISBN-13 : 978-1538144190
People care about status becauseanimals care about status
human cortexanimal brainWe’ve inherited the limbicbrain that motivates this
Your mammal brain rewardsyou with a drip of serotoninwhen you raise your status
Serotoninis notaggression.It’s the calmsense that“ I will getthe banana ”
Serotonin is soon metabolized,so you have to keep seeking theone-up position to keep feeling it
The good feeling motivates youto repeat behaviors thatraise your status
I’m not saying we shouldthink this way, but we do
Natural selection built a brainthat makes social comparisonsto promote its own survival
It rewards you with serotoninwhen you gaina position of strength
It alarms you with cortisol whenyou see a potential threat toyour relative position
You don’t think this in wordsbecause the animal braincannot process language
These facts were revealed by a centuryof research on mammalian socialbehavior, but now they are taboo
It’s easy to see the mammalianurge for status in others,especially those you don’t like
It’s easy to see the one-up impulsethroughout human history
It’s hard to see it in yourself, yourfriends, and cute furry creatures
But getting real aboutthese feelings gives youpower over them
Neurons connect when serotonin flows,so whatever raised your status in the pastwired you to expect good feelings from that
We all see the world through thelens of our old neural pathways
We all keep striving to stimulateserotonin and avoid cortisol inways that worked before
We all create one-down feelingsand one-up feelings despite ourbest intentions
We all keep making socialcomparisons because it’s a coremammalian survival impulse
What’s abig-brainedmammalto do?
Status Gamesshows you healthy ways to give yourinner mammal what it needs to feel good
It helps you put yourself upwithout putting others down
It helps you spark serotoninwithout junk status
It helps you manage thecortisol of one-down moments
Repetition will build newpathways so it feels normal
You will always be amammal among mammals
You havepower overyour brainbut notthe brainsof others
You can wire yourself toenjoy nature’s serotonin
You’ll be glad you did!
Your questions are invited:[email protected]