I, Mammal

1. Mammalian Brains Prioritize Social Power

We mammals are curiously preoccupied with social power.

Innate Drive for Status. Humans, like all mammals, possess an inherent drive for social power and dominance. This isn't a conscious choice but rather a deeply ingrained instinct stemming from our evolutionary past. Even those who claim to disregard status often inadvertently create hierarchies based on anti-status sentiments.

Survival Advantage. This preoccupation with social power isn't arbitrary; it's rooted in survival. In the wild, higher status often translates to better access to resources, mates, and protection, increasing the likelihood of reproductive success. Our brains are wired to seek social dominance because it historically promoted survival.

Beyond Human Cognition. This drive operates beneath the level of conscious thought, influencing our behavior in subtle yet pervasive ways. Understanding this innate preoccupation with social power is crucial for navigating social dynamics and managing our own motivations.

2. Neurochemicals Drive Mammalian Behavior

The mammalian brain reacts to the world without using language.

Chemical Basis of Moods. Our moods and motivations are fundamentally driven by brain chemicals inherited from our animal ancestors. These neurochemicals, such as dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins, evolved to reward behaviors that promote survival, not necessarily to ensure constant happiness.

Reward System. These "happy chemicals" are released when we engage in activities that our brains perceive as beneficial for survival, such as seeking rewards, dominating others, bonding with allies, or escaping danger. This creates a powerful feedback loop that shapes our behavior.

Rewiring for Happiness. By understanding how these neurochemicals work, we can consciously rewire our brains to enjoy more happy chemicals through activities that are both beneficial and sustainable. This involves identifying and engaging in behaviors that naturally stimulate the release of these chemicals.

3. Social Hierarchies Emerge Naturally

Dominance hierarchies emerge spontaneously as each mammal in a group seeks rewards and avoids harm.

Spontaneous Order. Social hierarchies aren't imposed by society but rather emerge spontaneously as individuals seek rewards and avoid harm within a group. This is a natural consequence of mammalian behavior, driven by the pursuit of happy chemicals and the avoidance of unhappy ones.

Constant Negotiation. Mammals are constantly assessing their social environment, sizing up others for signs of relative strength and weakness. This ongoing negotiation of status influences their behavior, determining when to assert dominance and when to submit to avoid conflict.

Beyond Human Constructs. The frustrations of social hierarchies aren't unique to human society; they're a fundamental aspect of mammalian life. Understanding this helps us accept the inherent challenges of group living and manage our expectations accordingly.

4. Sex and Status Are Intertwined

Status improves reproductive success, so mammals invest energy in status seeking.

Reproductive Advantage. In the animal world, status and sex are inextricably linked. Higher-status mammals tend to have more mating opportunities and greater reproductive success, driving them to invest significant energy in status-seeking behaviors.

Varied Mating Habits. While mating habits vary across species, the underlying principle remains the same: status improves access to mates and increases the likelihood of passing on one's genes. This can manifest in various forms, from direct competition to strategic alliances.

Human Courtship. Human courtship, like that of other mammals, often rewards status in one form or another. While reproduction may not be the conscious goal, our brains seek happy-chemical rewards associated with behaviors that historically promoted reproductive success.

5. AutoPilot Shapes Status-Seeking Behavior

The brain relies on well-trodden neural pathways because electricity flows where there's least resistance.

Neural Pathways. Our brains rely on well-established neural pathways, or "AutoPilot," to guide our behavior. These pathways are formed through repeated experiences and reinforced by neurochemicals, making certain actions and reactions automatic.

Survival Strategies. This AutoPilot helps us decide what is good for our own survival, based on past experiences and learned associations. However, it can also lead to self-destructive behaviors if those associations are based on flawed or outdated information.

Neural Infrastructure. Understanding how these neural circuits build up from life experience is crucial for managing our status-seeking behavior. By recognizing the patterns that drive our actions, we can consciously choose to redirect our energy towards more beneficial strategies.

6. Self-Destructive Status Seeking Exists

The quest for happy chemicals often tempts people into self-destructive status-seeking strategies.

Paradoxical Behavior. Despite being focused on survival, the mammal brain can sometimes lead us to engage in self-destructive status-seeking strategies. This occurs because the brain prioritizes the survival of our DNA and resists unlearning past survival lessons.

Mammalian Focus. Mammals evolved to take risks to keep their DNA alive after the body is gone, so the mammal brain tolerates a little harm in the pursuit of status. The mammal brain evolved to adapt a critter to its environmental niche for a lifetime. It did not evolve to reject its own life lessons.

Avoiding Pitfalls. By understanding the roots of self-destructive status seeking in our brain chemistry, we can avoid these pitfalls and make more informed choices that promote our overall well-being. This involves recognizing the triggers that lead to these behaviors and developing alternative coping mechanisms.

7. You May Already Be a Winner

Knowing the mammal brain helped me accept the world as it is.

Shifting Focus. You are already winning more than you realize. The brain automatically focuses on your losses because it’s alert for potential harm. The neural pathways representing your past disappointments become well-developed. Your triumphs do not get your attention unless you develop those pathways as well.

Celebrating Wins. You can learn to celebrate your wins as automatically as you lament your losses. Your mammal brain wants to leave a legacy. Taking satisfaction in your accomplishments to that end is a skill that allows you to get more happy chemicals from less status seeking.

Small Triumphs. You need not take big risks to stimulate your happy chemicals when you've built efficient pathways to stimulate them with small triumphs. By consciously acknowledging and celebrating our accomplishments, we can stimulate happy chemicals and reduce the need for self-destructive status seeking.

8. The World Is Not the Problem

Knowing the mammal brain helped me accept the world as it is.

Internal Locus of Control. People often get the idea that they cannot be happy until the world somehow changes. They continually find fault with the social arrangements they think are standing in the way of their happiness. In truth, no way of organizing the world can keep your happy chemicals flowing.

Mammalian Longing. They are only released in short bursts, which is why your mammal brain keeps motivating you to do what it takes to get more of them. This makes life frustrating, but the world cannot fix it for you.

Acceptance and Contribution. You can be happy in the world as it is and still make a contribution. The first step is to accept that you have an urge to leave a legacy because you are a mammal. You want your contributions to be recognized because that stimulates your happy chemicals.

Last updated: April 14, 2025