I, Mammal: How to Make Peace With the Animal Urge for Social Power

by Loretta Graziano Breuning

The mammal brain rewards you with happy chemicals when you gain a bit of social power. Our appetite for social power is as natural as our appetite for food and sex. You don't think this in words, but your mammalian limbic system thinks it with neurochemicals.

Life is less frustrating when you know why your brain creates such strong feelings about social status. Animals in nature get more food and mating opportunity when they build social dominance. Our brain is inherited from ancestors who worked hard for social power because it sparked their serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin.

This is easy to see in people we don't like, but it's hard to see the urge for social dominance in ourselves and our allies. So when unhealthy habits result from our feelings about social dominance, we don't know why. This book helps you recognize the natural impulse and find healthy ways to satisfy it.

We'll start with the social drama of animals. We'll see how status hierarchies emerge spontaneously in mammal groups as each individual strives to meet their needs and avoid harm. We'll look closely at the private lives of mammals to see why they're so picky about who they mate with, and what a young mammal has to do to rise in their herd or pack or troop.

You'll see how your brain rewards you with serotonin when you gain a moment of social recognition. Most important, you'll see how your brain alarms you with cortisol, the stress chemical, when your social recognition is threatened in any way. Neurons connect when these chemicals flow, so each of us is wired to repeat behaviors that brought social recognition in our unique individuals past, and to fear situations that threaten our social position.

You may say you're "against status." But if you filled a room with people who said they were anti-status, a hierarchy would soon form based on how anti-status they are. That's what mammals do. Nothing is wrong with us. Nothing is wrong with you. We have inherited the operating system that helped mammals thrive for millions of years.

This is why a biology textbook resembles a soap opera script. The field notes of a primatologist are eerily similar to the lyrics of a country western song. The mammal brain cannot put its reactions into words, so the human cortex struggles to make sense of the limbic system it's attached to. We can finally make sense of our hybrid brain thanks to an accumulation of research in animal science and neuroscience.

The frustrations of social hierarchies are not caused by "our society." We are simply heirs to the brain that helped mammals thrive for two hundred million years. It's not easy being human with a mammalian operating system. But when you understand the neurochemistry of mammals, you can stop focusing on our flaws and simply celebrate how well we do with the mental equipment we've got.

Mammals live in groups for protection from predators, but group life can be frustrating. Some herd mates always seem to get the best mating opportunities and foraging spots. Fortunately, the mammal brain evolved to handle this. It releases stress chemicals when a mammal needs to hold back to avoid conflict. And it emits happy chemicals- serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin and endorphins, when a mammal sees a way to forge ahead and meet its needs.

Genres: Psychology, Science, Nonfiction, Biology, Sociology, Neuroscience

312 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Loretta is the author of Habits of a Happy Brain: Retrain Your Brain to Boost Your Serotonin, Dopamine, Oxytocin and Endorphin Levels. She's Founder of the Inner Mammal Institute and Professor Emerita of Management at California State University, East Bay. Dr. Breuning's many books, videos and podcasts explain the brain chemistry we've inherited from earlier mammals. She shows that our "happy chemicals" are not designed to be on all the time. They evolved to do specific jobs, so we always have to do more to get more. Dr. Breuning's work explains the natural way to enhance our power over these chemicals. Her nine books have been translated into sixteen languages. Before teaching, Loretta worked for the United Nations in Africa. Today, she gives zoo tours on animals behavior, after serving as a Docent at the Oakland Zoo. She is a graduate of Cornell University and Tufts. The Inner Mammal Institute offers videos, podcasts, books, blogs, multimedia, a training program, and a free five-day happy-chemical jumpstart. Details are available at InnerMammalInstitute.org.

Reviews

[Noor ameer · Rating 5 out of 5]

كتاب رائع يصف طريقة عمل الدماغ ويفسر اسباب جميع تصرفاتنا التي نراها غير منطقية .. ♥
يبين لما يسعى الانسان للافضل دائما .. كل شئ تحكمه كيميائيات الجسم التي كنت سابقا ارفض سيطرتها على افعالي لكناها تؤثر وجدا ..
شكرا خالو حبيبي لترجمة الكتاب ♥

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a Happy satisfied Cookie! (Quality Reading) >>> NO JUNK READING in 'this' gem!!!
....
My *Happy Chemicals* have been released..... :)

GREAT BOOK! EXCELLENT!!! (such a wonderful surprise)

No one likes the idea that we care about **STATUS**....but guess what folks??? WE DO! --
Yes, even us 'nice-sweet' people!
The author has done her research --explains things well--easy to understand. Its a VERY ENJOYABLE page turning book.

For those who spent some time with spiritual type books, (Eckhart Tolle, Adyashanti, Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dryer, Lama Surya Das...etc etc etc), reading "I Mammal" is a refreshing treat... (This book is more science per-say---but damn--if its not spiritual in nature).

This book teaches --and continues to teach...(its fun and fascinating). I love the 'language' chosen by the author -- such as --junk status, junk learning, and even autopilot....(it all 'fits' and 'explains' as you continue to read about how are brain works --our the animal brain works --how we have evolved --how we fit together --our need to survive --our legacy).

Our Mammal brain (us), will feel frustrated when others dominate us in subtle ways.
Notice, though, we seek ways to dominate also --
but did we noticed that we managed our aggression? Do we understand our huge achievement? (we have blind spots to seeing our own success).
"We've Come a long Way Baby"!

A little more about JUNK LEARNING. Its routine for us because we learn from our past experience --but sometimes its just plain wrong! (the author will explain this much better than my attempt --but its sooooooooo good!!!! ---
Think of all of old 'wise-tales' passed down from generations -- superstitions-- etc. Bright people can go 'nuts' with beliefs (which keep them stuck/unhappy) -- the circuits in the brain just got wired that way from the past. (an old belief). We think our 'experience' tells us THE TRUTH. ---(but not always) --

Loretta talks about how our mammal brain will seek a new opportunity as it satisfies one desire.
Only with the risk to be disappointed --
Our Cortex is always looking for patterns to predict awards --but the world keeps failing to fit the patterns (is this because of our JUNK BELIEF???) hm????

So much to think about with this book!
I'm sorry I bought it on Kindle. This would have been a better book to own and touch. I want to read parts of it again. (I don't enjoy 'going-back' on Kindle).

The author has a great sense of humor to boot: (I loved her 'personal' sharing and other sub-topics --(DMV, science fair, etc.)
I have a hilarious DMV story myself. Its a HAPPY PLACE for me! I'd like to see 'anyone' beat MY STORY'....(see, I can one up ya)....lol

Oh---and I loved when Loretta (I'll just call the author by her first name) --talked about Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria. He was part of the British Parliament WOW....he organized the first technology fair in 1851 ---"Crystal Palace". (I wonder if Steve Jobs knew that?)....lol (I didn't share 'everything'....and what is 'really' inspiring and 'touching'). So READ it YOURSELF! :)

Another gem about this book --was Loretta's mention of 'movies' ....(great popcorn movies)...
I don't want to give all the fun away ---and tell the 'theme' of the movies she mentions --(and why)
but may I suggest one more which could have gone on the list which Loretta gave. (I think it also fits)...

"Limitless" with Bradley Cooper. Its about a writer who takes a pill and gets super-power abilities---A former nobody rises to the top of the financial world. (corrupt of course)...

Oh...and when Loretta suggested 'BOOKS', too, I got even more excited. (damn, I really may need to buy THIS book). She mentions several books which sounded very interesting.

I FULLY agree with the BEST child development book she suggests: "NutureShock". One more great book for this catagory is "Bringing Up Bebe" by Pamela Druckerman

I'm sure this review is too long --(I'm sorry) ---its 5am--- I'm too perky for most people at this time of day...(so sue me) ....but my HAPPY CHEMICALS had FUN with "I MAMMUAL". (I'm happy I found it)....

Now....for me NEXT desire....
Off to the gym....

Thank you Loretta, for taking your time and writing a wonderful special book! EXCELLENT!

oh, oh oh.....

One more thing...

I loved this quote: (which you gave us as a reminder/tip)...when on autopilot ...(or frustrated):
"I'm a mammal. I'm frustrated because my brain evolved to care deeply about my legacy".

[Morgan Blackledge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't help but love Breuning's books. I Mammal may be my favorite, although they are all pretty spectacular. I Mammal reads like Machiavelli on neuroscience, evolutionary biology and ethology. That may sound pretty Satanic to some folks. But I personally find the opposite to be true. This shit is utterly liberating.

The evolutionary framework clarifies and normalizes human behavior. That's a very good thing. I don't know how else to say it without ranting. The evolutionary perspective does not excuse or prescribe the nasty behavior (such as murder, abduction, rape, domination etc) we humans so rightly struggle to curtail. But it does allow us to understand its origins and biomechanics, and in so doing, gives us a bit of a road map and functional vocabulary that can (and does) enable progress i.e. greater kindness, compassion and a more peaceful life.

Mammals are group organisms. It's how they survive. It's how we survive. We're "wired" that way. Part of just about any group survival strategy involves at least some kind of status/dominance hierarchy. I'm not saying that humans can't explore other, less oppressive ways of being together. We can. But understanding that we are biased to notice and care about how we stack up to others allows us to practice compassion when we do. And just like every other mammal, we definitely do.

Understanding that we mammals are organized in advance of experience to seek status in a group normalizes (i.e. reduces the shame) of the issue. Normalizing our mammalian, status seeking nature can facilitate more effective social policy based on more realistic, naturalistic models as opposed to oppressive and unrealistic ideals.

I have a tortured client who is deeply religious, and also very addicted to herion. He believes in his heart of hearts that he is going to burn in hell for his sins. If this belief were helping him become free of the drugs I'd call it a good thing, but it's actually keeping him stuck. He feels hopeless. His beliefs about himself are founded in antiquated and dysfunctional misunderstandings about human behavior, freewill, character and responsibility.

I believe reframing addiction in rational, biomedical, evolutionarily informed terms actually normalizes the issue, reduces shame and provides hope. His brain craves exogenous "happy chemicals" as if his survival depended on it. He can recondition his brain to feel satisfied with his endogenous "happy chemicals", but it's going to take time, support, work etc. Maybe even long term opiate replacement medications. It's a chronic medical condition just like diabetes or hypertension.

Similarly, humans seek social status as if our survival depended on it. We can get a little bit mean when were out there doing our thing. We can modify our behavior and learn not to oppress ourselves and others. But being in denial about our hard wired biases and species characteristic behaviors and feelings is not likely to produce the kinder, gentler society most of us desire. Just go hang out in Berkeley, or about any church and see for your self. Hippies, academics, Christians, Buddhists etc are all status driven in there own ways despite a litany of preachy shoulds and shalt nots. Perhaps it's high time to include some pragmatic, naturalistic, scientifically informed, de-fused acceptance into our social change plans.

Nothing in biology makes sense outside of the evolutionary matrix. You can include human psychology (thoughts, behavior and emotions) up in that mix.

P.S. here's a big bonus for all you parents, understanding the mammalian drive for status can help you understand and more compassionately and effectively relate to your teenaged kids. Last time I checked, they really seem to care about status. Now you can more clearly understand why.

[L. Marquet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why am I impelled to act some way, sometimes to my benefit and sometimes perversely against my benefit? In this insightful book, Dr. Loretta Breuning, a professor at California State University, tells us.

Our brains have been evolving for several million years. As the brain developed, it added functions on top of the old parts -- but those evolutionary leftovers are still in there, and they matter! Dr. Breuning lays it out in the following simple scheme: the oldest and simplest functions are our lizard brain, then the mammal brain built on top of that, and finally the cortex of the primate brain. The lizard brain manages our routine bodily functions. The top level, the cortex is where we do our thinking, remembering, dreaming, and talking to ourselves. It's the middle part, the mammal brain, that's the focus of this book because it's the mammal brain that released various "feel good" and "feel bad" chemicals that motivate our behavior.

While the release of these chemicals may provide the motivation for action, they don't actually force us to do anything. Our primate cortex gives us the final decision about whether to run from something or stay put. But the mammal brain does have a powerful influence over our behavior by triggering these chemicals which are responsible for a whole host of feelings, good and bad.

The role of serotonin is particularly important because of its impact on how we interact with other humans and its affect on our leadership instincts. In mammalian life, those with higher social status had better mating opportunities. Our brains evolved to give us the motivation to climb the social ladder in order to foster the continuance of our DNA. It is serotonin that encourages this behavior. Even though one could argue that there are plenty of mating opportunities around, we retain this chemical programming for social dominance.

I think this is responsible for our ideas of leadership and for the fundamental leader-follower structure. The issue for those who want to create leaders rather than attract followers, and give control, rather than take control, will be that their instincts will signal it's the wrong thing to do. Fortunately, Dr. Breuning explains how we can rewire our brains. Those feelings may never go away, but ultimately the cortex gives us the deliberateness to be in control, not our instincts.

[Alanay Türkmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book in order to gain deeper perspectives to our feelings and thoughts. I was able to make sense of many of the behaviours I observe both in myself and others. As a person in love with behavioral neuroscience, I really enjoyed connecting the dots between us as homo sapiens and our ancestors. The only down side of the book was that -even though it was worth it- I felt like the writer repeated herself a lot until the 7th chapter. I kept reading the same idea explained in different word combinations and had to fast forward some of the paragraphs. The last 2 chapters were impressive and very integrated with our daily lives. I expected a little more guidance in the end but I guess it's up to us to come up with our own solutions with the clues we receive from the writer. I'd definitely recommend to anyone trying to develop a biologic and evolutionary approach to our lives.

[Raghu Ramadasan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent introduction

This book is an excellent primer on how neurochemistry determines our behavior. Helps make sense of the despair and frustration trap most of us continuously fall into. Highly recommended !

[Stefan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book illuminates the prominent role social status plays in how we feel. For me, reading it was a step toward acknowledging my human nature. I consider the analogy of junk food and junk status particularly well done, as well as the emphasis that anxiety and frustration about one's current social status also has physiological effects for those who consider themselves anti-Machiavellian. Especially these individuals are only vaguely aware of why at times they become angry, desperate, and depressed, and act destructively as a consequence of these feelings.

[Orestis P · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great addition to the series of books by Breuning adding to the analysis of human behaviour via neurochemicals and evolutionary psychology.
It has been an easy and entertaining read through unsettling facts about us, humans, mammals.
Like other books by the author, I, Mammal has once again changed my perspective of human nature.

[Ana Patrícia · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a great entry gate to topics such as "what makes us happy", because it is scientific, it explains our biology and gives a direct approach to the question : culture vs nurture. It goes even further by saying : both and none. We are animals and culture and nurture are part of that.

[Stephanie Hartell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read but you’ll be amazed when you recognize your own behaviors and understand why they make you feel good. Next level, you work on not engaging in anything that makes you or others feel bad or excluded.

[AMAO · Rating 5 out of 5]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[Carlos · Rating 5 out of 5]

A provocative idea, explained in very simple terms

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent information presented in a fun and digestible manner.

[Scot Fagerland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had mixed feelings about this book, which I believe was self-published. I bought it while researching mammal and primate evolution and the development of social behavior and emotions. Cognition, especially affective psychology, is a very complex subject. Breuning did a good job of honing in on a few simple aspects and explaining them in layman's terms. She made the right choice by focusing on four particular neurotransmitters, the "happy chemicals". Her central thesis, that emotions alert us to changes in social status or reproductive success, is heuristically very compelling. She goes on to advise people (inside and outside the book) how to understand the evolutionary context behind their emotions. I firmly agree with her that our concept of human nature should be informed by deep history.

Breuning's PhD is not in the field. This book is appropriate only as a broad introduction, not a rigorous education. In fact, one of its greatest shortcomings is a lack of citations. I wanted to find primary source support for her assertions, but I could not find any. Even her bibliography is just a list of popular science books. At least she gave brief reviews of some of her top recommendations, and I did take her suggestion to buy one of them. Another distraction was the serious repetitiveness. This material could have been easily cut down to 25 - 50% of its size, maybe allowing for some additional substance.

It's a good example of self-published work, both for the pros and the cons. The author clearly writes with passion and brings a unique perspective along with what I think are some very good points. The lack of editing is evident. As an aspiring science writer myself, I have some empathy. Without a major-league publisher to back her up, I appreciate that Ms. Breuning put this material out there on her own.

[Dimitar Trifonov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. The overall message - we all crave status. We may deny it, but it's rooted in our biology and we'll always strive to get it in subtle (or not so subtle) ways. Every mammal wants to dominate and the sooner we accept it, the better.

The primary neurochemical in charge is SEROTONIN. When we have high status - our serotonin goes up. Likewise, when you feel that your status is low - serotonin levels are low too (which is why often it's linked to anxiety).

The best way to boost your serotonin is to take risks, in order to provide proof to your brain that you can dominate in a certain environment. The other, simpler way to boost your serotonin and "status" is to simply REMEMBER times when you WERE that awesome person.

Anyway, pretty good book. It's repetitive, but I like that, as it really hammers into your head the importance of status.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading about "happiness" and "fun" for about 15 years, ever since a really low point in my life. This is one of the 3 most important books I have ever read, period, because now I have a model that fits exactly with my ups and downs and a clear understanding of how to manage and even steer them successfully. IN PARTICULAR, her theory that "status" (essentially [as I understand the author] exercising control over how you're treated) is the opposite of depression was a eureka moment for me. Her other titles are "Meet Your Happy Chemicals" and "Beyond Cynical". Do yourself a huge favour and read all 3.

[Kevin Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

All modern humans should become aware of this simple truth about how we really think.

My favorite Loretta Breuning book covering the way our neurotransmitters and triggered emotions are the language of our several million year old mammal brain and how our more recently developed cortex doesn't speak that language so fluently, even on our best days. Understanding these few, simple, most practical aspects of neuroscience is going to be a game changer for anyone who wants to understand why we all interact the way we do.

It's the simple, major truth and it's not what we think.

Reading this book was like taking the red pill from the matrix. No turning back now!

[Paul Reinerfelt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book! Completely changed how I look at social interaction.

[John Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I, Mammal will change the way you see yourself and the things around you. You will learn so much from this book. Very interesting and so much to learn.

[Steve Molyneaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read

Very insightful book about status hierarchies. Well written and documented ideas. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about societies.

[David Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

see my review at: http://davidmallenmd.blogspot.com/201...

[John Crippen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful explanation about why we care about what people think of us. Beyond describing the evolutionary underpinnings of status anxiety, the author provides some clues about how to manage our mammalian brains. Not rated five stars solely due to the home-spun design/quality of the book itself. But I'm sure the author is not upset by this!