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What have you accomplished recently that makes you proud |
Has someone done something nice for you recently Have you had the opportunity to |
help someone else |
What are commonplace things you can appreciate right now |
As you write allow the gratitude to permeate your body Make an effort to remember what |
that feels like and how it affects the bodily systems we have been discussing in this book |
thus far Remember this feeling take a mental snapshot of it so you can recall it whenever |
you want |
As a few examples you may find yourself grateful for the earth the moon the stars the |
sun the ocean rain animals pets friends your talents skills and unique qualities setbacks |
that have made you stronger your senses fond memories your favorite songs movies or |
shows foods the marvel of electricity the worlds food supply and all the kind souls out there |
feel especially grateful for the generations of people who made sacrifices for the rights and |
freedoms we enjoy today as well as those who made the innovations that resulted in our |
modern technology and our extensive knowledge base |
Raise Your Serotonin through Cooperation and Creating Value |
In primates domination of others is not the only way up Brute physical strength and fighting |
prowess are only partial factors in determining status relationships Social bonds friendships |
past feats and examples of helping others count as well Most primates will support or even |
fight for those that helped them in the past This is why an open conflict between two primates |
is usually decided by who has the most allies |
It is also important to note that dominance does not equal influence The dominant ape is |
often not the most liked or even the most influential politically Dominant primates have |
PROGRAM PEACE Self Care Exercises to Reprogram Your Mind and Body |
fighting prowess boldness and a characteristic that ecologists call resource holding potentia |
But this does not necessarily make them trusted or revered In fact the oldest group members |
not the alpha are usually the most influential Apes will approach influential members to |
moderate spats make decisions or seek comfort |
Dominant individuals are fit to be revered to the extent that they serve the interests of |
those that revere them If you want to be justified in being calm and nonsubmissive you must |
promote positivity in the lives of those that allow you to remain so Thus the next time you |
notice an urge to belittle someone remember that bonding with them instead will provide a |
larger more sustainable neurochemical boost to happiness and esteem |
Because our biological past also rewards camaraderie teamwork and solidarity with a |
boost of serotonin there are many healthy ways to get an ego boost from others without |
bringing them down Its our job to think creatively about positive ways to interact with others |
rather than being destructive |
It is usually the youngest and most immature of adult primates that are preoccupied with |
establishing dominance Senior group members are less nervous greeting each other and are |
more concerned with confirming partnership and cooperation than securing dominance We |
love people who cooperate reinforce our confidence and raise our status Consequently if you |
want to be loved and held in high regard then work on raising other peoples status in their |
own eyes as well as in the eyes of others Offer valid and specific compliments help them argue |
their point align your goals with theirs stand up for them laugh at their jokes and beam |
zygomatic smiles at them |
The higher a chimps rank the more likely it is to support inferior parties during disputes |
High levels of serotonin cause us to have compassion for and side with the underdog |
Dominant apes routinely break up fights usually intervening on the side of the weaker party |
They especially defend the young the wounded and the old In many primates the alpha male |
and female play a control role where they mediate equitably restoring peace and security |
Interestingly it has been found that the most dominant schoolchildren tend to intervene in |
playground fights protect losers and share more with classmates It appears to be some form |
of natural noblesse oblige that we lose sight of as adults |
Monkeys choose to share with one another frequently both in the wild and in captivity |
However they do not share out of fear of reprisal We know this because the most dominant |
monkeys are the most generous which is part of what earns them their increased status The |
best way for lowstatus individuals to improve their status is to prove their value to the group |
Similarly humans gain status by developing a skill that benefits the community This is why we |
should be useful rather than pretentious and entitled Dont be the person working on their |
wardrobe biceps or tan Instead be the person people go to for help with their problems |
Dont focus on status threats Focus instead on expanding your influence and significance to |
your community Gain status not from physicality offensives and violations but collaboration |
contribution and earned esteem |
Serotonin Inhibits Fear and Aggression |
Serotonin makes many animals from a range of different taxonomic groups less fearful in |
response to perceived threats Much of this is due to its actions at the amygdala the brains |
fear center discussed in previous chapters By default the cells of the amygdala are quieted by |
Chapter Serotonin Optimism and Cooperation |
the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA This makes it so that the brains panic button must be |
pressed firmly for it to actuate This inhibition has been called the GABA guard It is why |
something surprising must happen for you to become scared |
Serotonin further excites GABAproducing cells in the amygdala increasing this tonic |
inhibition and increasing your threshold for getting scared This is why antidepressants like |
Prozac a drug that increases serotonin levels at the synapse decreases amygdala activity This |
is also one of the reasons dominant animals are not unnecessarily aggressive Their amygdala |
and sympathetic system are difficult to highjack The stress hormone cortisol acts in a way that |
is opposite serotonin It inhibits GABA cells in the amygdala disabling serotonins ability to calm |
the amygdala |
Keep in mind that not only is the amygdala the brains fear center but it is also the area |
most implicated in the initiation of aggressive acts Thus highstress animals are more |
aggressive while animals with high serotonin levels are less aggressive This is why as discussed |
in Chapter alpha individuals are not combative but friendly The alpha chimp grooms others |
more shares more of its food and patrols the perimeter to keep its friends safe As you might |
expect artificially elevating the serotonin in a monkeys brain makes it groom and share more |
It is more capable of prosocial behavior because its amygdala has been bound and gagged |
To me this strongly suggests that being stuck in fight or flight keeps us from acting altruistically |
and civilmindedly |
When serotonin levels are low animals show signs of being irritated The threshold for |
taking offense drops and fatigue and crankiness rise Low serotonin chimps pick fights and take |
unnecessary risks For instance monkeys with low serotonin are more likely to jump between |
distant tree branches and lash out in anger Similarly studies have shown that lowstatus men |
are much more likely to aggress by yelling insulting or using violence While these behaviors |
are meant to increase dominance they often lower status because they result in estrangement |
When you find yourself being aggressive acknowledge that you probably wouldnt be as |
threatened if your serotonin levels were higher |
Now you understand the neurological mechanism for why serotonindepleted animals are |
more belligerent their amygdala overreacts to anxietyprovoking stimuli increasing their heart |
rate and breathing making them feel cornered Low serotonin is one of the best predictors of |
impulsive hostility in mammals Antisocial behavior in humans also increases with decreasing |
serotonin This is why feeling rejected leads to aggression think the takehome message is |
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