The Political Brain

The Political Brain
Loretta Graziano Breuning, PhD
Inner Mammal Institute

Loretta Graziano Breuning, PhD www.InnerMammalInstitute.org
Humans inherited brain structures from
earlier animals, and added on.

Beneath our cortex are the brain structures
common to all mammals.

Loretta Graziano Breuning, PhD InnerMammalInstitute.org
This “limbic system” controls the brain
chemicals that make us feel good and bad.

Natural selection built a brain that
rewards you with a happy chemical 
(dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, endorphin)
when you step toward meeting survival needs.

It alarms you with a distress chemical (cortisol)
when you see a threat or obstacle to your needs.

We are motivated to do things that stimulate
happy chemicals and relieve cortisol.

This simple operating system helped our
ancestors survive the harshest conditions for
millions of years

But the mammal brain deﬁnes survival
in a quirky way
1. It cares about the survival of your genes
2. It relies on neural pathways built in youth

1. Anything relevant
to reproductive
success triggers a
surprising
neurochemical
response

2. Each brain sees the world through the
lens of its own past experience

We humans are
born with billions
of neurons but
very few
connections
between them

We build those connections from the
neurochemical surges of youth.

We are not born
hard-wired with
the survival skills
of our ancestors

We build survival skills as our happy and
unhappy chemicals pave neural pathways.

Each brain wires itself to expect rewards and
pain in ways experienced before.

The great feeling of dopamine is released
when you see that a reward is within reach.
A huge surge is released when a reward
exceeds expectations.

Oxytocin rewards you with a safe feeling
when you have social support

Serotonin makes you feel good when you
perceive that you have social power

It’s easy to see why politics triggers a
strong sense of urgency.

You stimulate dopamine when you
take steps toward an expected reward.

You stimulate oxytocin when you
perceive social support.

You stimulate serotonin when you
experience social power.

But the brain only
releases these
chemicals
in short spurts and
you have to do more
to get more.

Any obstacles in your path triggers cortisol,
which makes it feel like a survival threat.

So it’s easy to see why people keep seeking.

“I’m not like this,”
you may say.
“I’m not focused on
my own needs.”
“I care about the
greater good.”

You think this with your verbal cortex,
which is not on speaking terms
with your mammal brain.
The mammal brain does not process
abstractions.

The electricity in your brain ﬂows like water in a
storm, ﬁnding the paths of least resistance.
Conscious analysis is not required.

Your inner mammal knows how to stimulate
happy chemicals by embracing a
“higher cause.”

You can stimulate your dopamine by
taking steps toward your “higher cause.”

You can stimulate your serotonin by
challenging social rivals.

You can stimulate your oxytocin by
strengthening your social support.

It’s not easy being mammal.

Mammals evolved social bonds to protect their
offspring from predators.

But life with a herd or pack or troop is not all
warm and fuzzy.

A mammal sticks with the group despite
internal threats when they need
protection from external threats

Common enemies keep mammal groups together.

Mammals evolved a brain that constantly
compares itself to others.

If it sees you’re in the one-down position,
it releases cortisol and you hold back.

If it sees you’re in the one-up position,
serotonin is released and you feel you
can let go to meet your needs.

The mammal brain cares about social dominance
as if your life depended on it because from the
perspective of your genes, it does.

?
?
Mammals evolved a brain that constantly weighs
expected rewards and pain, including
social rewards and social pain.

It’s easy to see this in others,
and harder to see in yourself.

It’s easy to ﬁnd fault with your fellow mammal.

We tend to blame
our ups and downs
on external events
because our
verbal brain doesn’t
recognize the
power of chemicals
ﬂowing down old
pathways.

When you understand your inner mammal,
your neurochemical ups and downs make sense.

Other people are easier to make sense of.

You have
power over
your brain,
but it’s more
limited than
you think.

So choose where you invest it.

Books by L. Breuning, PhD
The Science of
Positivity 
Stop Negative Thought Patterns
By Changing Your Brain Chemistry
Habits of a Happy Brain
Retrain your brain to boost your
serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin and
endorphin
I, Mammal 
How to Make Peace With
The Animal Urge for Social Power

Free resources from the Inner Mammal Institute
Learn more about
your happy chemicals
podcasts
videos
infographics
training certiﬁcation
slide shows (incl this)
5-day Happy-Chemical Jumpstart
www.InnerMammalInstitute.org

Loretta@InnerMammalInstitute.org
contact me

Don’t compare
yourself to others

The Political Brain

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