Dopamine for the Winners: How Our Mind's Reward System Drives Political Ambition and Affects Civilization

April 12th, 2019

By Peter Van Els

Guest writer for Wake Up World

The effects of the brain’s neurochemistry on geopolitics and human interaction should be more subject to study and debate. It almost seems like a truism to state that our brains, and their fallibility, greatly affect human progress and societal advancement. But what is most striking in today’s culture, is the way in which our mind’s reward system is employed by society to encourage economic and political ambition, and to blunt the creative and critical mind.

Dopamine as Neurotransmitter

We all know the feeling: when we receive a present and can’t wait to open it, when we have a shot at a coveted promotion, or when we gather likes or support on social media. If things go our way, we become happy and euphoric, and for a brief moment experience an extreme feeling of joy. That feeling is made possible by a neurotransmitter called dopamine.

Dopamine is often perceived as the main chemical of pleasure. The substance works as a transmitter in different parts of our body and plays a major role in the experience of happiness, pleasure, joy and well-being. Some examples of neurotransmitters are dopamine, serotonin, adrenaline and endorphins. Dopamine is a substance that is involved in attention span, pleasure and motivation and is part of the reward system of the brain. Through the production of dopamine, we feel satisfied and rewarded.

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