The Molecule of More

thing you want. 
Force, often expressed as violence, is the ultimate tool of domination, 
but is it dopaminergic?
Violence comes in two flavors: planned violence inflicted for a pur-
pose, and spontaneous violence set off by passion. Violence for a pur-
pose, designed to get something the perpetrator desires, might be as 
prosaic as mugging someone on the street, or as earth-shattering as 
launching a global war. The emphasis in each case is on effective strat-
egy, planned in advance, sometimes in excruciating detail, and always 
aimed at gaining resources or control. This is dopamine-driven aggres-
sion, and it tends to have a low emotional content. It is cold violence.
Think of dopaminergic calculation and instinctive response as 
opposite ends of a seesaw: when one is high, the other is low. The abil-
ity to suppress emotions such as fear, anger, or overwhelming desire 
provides an advantage in the midst of conflict. Emotion is almost 
always a liability that interferes with calculated action. In fact, a com-
mon strategy of domination is to stimulate emotional reactions in one’s 
adversary to interfere with his ability to execute his plans. In sports it 
comes in the form of trash talk on the basketball court or at the line of
scrimmage.
Aggression driven by passion is a lashing out at provocation. 
This is not a calculated action orchestrated by the dopamine control 
circuit—just the opposite. When passion drives aggression in response 

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DOMINATION
to provocation, dopamine is suppressed by the H&N circuits, and peo-
ple who display this type of aggression usually degrade their future 
well-being. They can end up injured, arrested, or simply embarrassed. 
Think of a parent losing his temper at a child’s hockey game. Throwing 
anything from a fit to a punch is not a calculated move but a thought-
less emotional reaction. From dopamine’s perspective there is nothing 
to be gained, no resources to maximize, no advantage to be taken. 
Emotion overwhelms control dopamine’s consideration, caution, and 
calculation.
Anthony Trollope, an English novelist, contrasted the two 
approaches to describe a political debate that took place between two 
of his characters, Daubeny and Gresham, the leaders of opposing par-
liamentary parties:
Whereas Mr. Daubeny hit always as hard as he knew how to 
hit, having premeditated each blow, and weighed its results 
beforehand, having calculated his power even to the effect of a 
blow repeated on a wound already given, Mr. Gresham struck 
right and left and straightforward . . . , and in his fury might 
have murdered his antagonist before he was aware that he had 
drawn blood.
Violence can give us domination, but to be successful, it must come 
from the cold circuits of control dopamine.
WHAT IS A DOPAMINERGIC 
PERSONALITY?
Some people have more active dopaminergic circuits than 
others. Researchers have identified a number of genes that 
contribute to the development of this type of personal-
ity. It’s important to note that elevated dopamine activity 
can express itself in different ways. Someone with a highly 

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THE MOLECULE OF MORE
active desire circuit might be impulsive or difficult to satisfy, 
constantly seeking more. His counterpart would be some-
one who is easily satisfied. Instead of downing shots at a 
noisy nightclub, a less dopaminergic person might prefer to 
spend the day gardening and then go to bed early.
Alternatively, someone with a highly active control circuit 
might be cold and calculating, ruthless and devoid of emo-
tion. Her counterpart would be a warm, generous person, 
who is more interested in nurturing friendships than winning 
competitions. The brain is complicated, and the way in which 
activity in one circuit is translated into behavior depends on 
activity in many other circuits all working together. In addi-
tion to these examples, a dopaminergic personality can be 
expressed in other ways that we’ll describe later. These peo-
ple all have one thing in common, though. They are obsessed 
with making the future more rewarding at the expense of 
being able to experience the joys of the present.
SUPPRESSION OF EMOTION