{"id":28049,"date":"2022-01-12T08:25:43","date_gmt":"2022-01-12T16:25:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=28049"},"modified":"2022-01-12T08:25:43","modified_gmt":"2022-01-12T16:25:43","slug":"the-chemistry-behind-character","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/the-chemistry-behind-character\/","title":{"rendered":"The Chemistry behind Character"},"content":{"rendered":"

Categorized under social science literature and based on the 1957 research of Kathleen Montagu[1]<\/a>, The Molecule of More<\/em> is an enlightening book on mental health written by Daniel Lieberman and Michael Long. The authors are long-standing behavioral health experts who have written extensively on various mental health issues including the effect of Dopamine on mental health, business, creativity, love, sex, and political inclination. In seven compelling chapters Lieberman and Long respond to pertinent questions such as people\u2019s unflinching loyalty to a particular political ideology; why humans might be obsessed about something yet quickly get bored after achieving their objective; and more.<\/p>\n

The book also addresses the question of why love fades, and by extension, the alarming levels of divorce and separation in contemporary culture. The answer, it turns out, is Dopamine, a chemical in the brain that is responsible for why we \u201ccrave the unexpected and thus look to the future, where every exciting possibility begins[2]<\/a>.\u201d But it is not only political inclination, obsession, and love that Dopamine is responsible for. Remarkably, it also drives creativity, susceptibility to substance abuse, and the desire for progress.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, the authors point out that we do not have to be controlled by Dopamine. Instead, we can ride<\/em> on it in a positive way, such as during crisis management, yet benefit from another God-given component of the brain, H&N neurotransmitters, to enjoy seasons of stability[3]<\/a>. The Molecule of More<\/em> is, therefore, further scientific proof that humans, being blessed with both Dopamine and H&N neurotransmitters, are \u201cwonderfully and fearfully created,\u201d as Psalm 119:134 clearly states.<\/p>\n

One important fact raised by Lieberman and Long is that boosting Dopamine also increases \u201cexploratory behavior[4]<\/a>.\u201d \u00a0For followers of Jesus, this makes one wonder whether people called to cross-cultural missions in the \u201cuttermost parts of the earth[5]<\/a>,\u201d some of whom have already travelled to a remarkable number of countries, have more Dopamine than most of us. If this is correct, a related question is whether the higher levels of Dopamine simply supplement the missionary grace, or whether this is actually an important (biological) element of that grace. While the authors may not address that question, the possibility leaves me amazed at the intersection of creation and science, and wondering how many other remarkable realities are waiting to be discovered.<\/p>\n

The widespread effect of Dopamine also has interesting implications for my NPO, the lack of holistic development within low-income communities. For example, if Dopamine levels positively correlate with levels of creativity, then have any studies been conducted to test the Dopamine levels of the poor? If so, what were the findings or conclusions? More importantly, what mental health interventions could boost creativity, adventure, and progress within low-income communities and how do these align with the scriptures? These are some of the questions The Molecule of More<\/em> raises in my mind, and I sense that somewhere in the text, the Bible, related books, and the comments of friends I am privileged to meet, lies an answer that would satisfy that quest.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Daniel Z. Lieberman and Mchael E. Long, The Molecule of More: How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity \u2013 and will Determine the Fate of the Human Race<\/em>. (Dallas: Benbella Books, 2018), 21.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Lieberman and Long, Molecule of More,<\/em> 24.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Ibid., 88.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Ibid., 181.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Acts 1:8<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Categorized under social science literature and based on the 1957 research of Kathleen Montagu[1], The Molecule of More is an enlightening book on mental health written by Daniel Lieberman and Michael Long. The authors are long-standing behavioral health experts who have written extensively on various mental health issues including the effect of Dopamine on mental […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":143,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2158],"class_list":["post-28049","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-the-molecule-of-more-dopamine-daniel-lieberman-michael-long","cohort-lgp11"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28049","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/143"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28049"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28049\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28050,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28049\/revisions\/28050"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28049"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28049"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28049"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}