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9 Networked Minds
sexual fantasies to occupy their thoughts pretty much. Thus, the desire to gain sexual
gratification can influence human behavior substantially. This explains why people
who are sexually deprived may display some pretty irritating, “irrational” behavior.
The human desire to possess has very early roots, too. Our distant ancestors were
hunter-gatherers. Accumulating food and other belongings was important in order to
survive difficult times, but also to trade and gain power. This desire to possess can,
in some sense, be seen as the basis of capitalism.
But besides the desire to possess things, some of us also like to experience
adrenaline kicks. These rushes of adrenaline were originally there to prepare our
bodies for fight or flight from predators and other dangers. Today, people watch
crime series or play “first-person shooter” computer games to get a similar thrill.
Like sexual satisfaction, the desire to possess things and to experience adrenaline
kicks is related to concomitant emotions such as greed and fear. Financial traders
know this very well.
9.3 Hunger for Information
Intellectual curiosity is a further driver of human behavior. It primarily comes into
play when the needs mentioned above have been sufficiently satisfied. Curiosity
drives us to explore our environment and seek to understand it. By explaining how
our world works, we can manipulate it better to our advantage. A trade-off between
exploration and exploitation is part of all long-term reward maximizing algorithms.
Individuals who solely focus on conventional sources of reward are quickly surpassed
by those who discover new, more profitable avenues. In order to encourage sufficient
efforts to explore our environment, our brain rewards insights with a dopaminebased hormonal rush. The effect of these hormones is excitement. In fact, as many
intellectuals and others will attest, thinking can create really great pleasure!
9.4 Lessons Learned
In summary, our body has several different incentive and reward systems. Many of
them are related with intrinsic hormonal, emotional, and nervous processes (the latter
include the „amygdala” area of the brain and the part of the nervous system called
the “solar plexus”). If we neglect these factors, we cannot gain a good understanding
of human behavior. Hence, any realistic description of human decision-making in
future must incorporate knowledge from those sciences that study our body and brain.
Currently established theoretical models appear to be insufficient.
For example, why do many people invest much time and energy in sport that
has little reproductive or material benefit? Why do people buy fast and expensive
cars that do not match their stated preferences? Why do people race or fight, ride
rollercoasters or go bungee jumping? It’s the related adrenaline kicks that explain it!
9 Networked Minds
sexual fantasies to occupy their thoughts pretty much. Thus, the desire to gain sexual
gratification can influence human behavior substantially. This explains why people
who are sexually deprived may display some pretty irritating, “irrational” behavior.
The human desire to possess has very early roots, too. Our distant ancestors were
hunter-gatherers. Accumulating food and other belongings was important in order to
survive difficult times, but also to trade and gain power. This desire to possess can,
in some sense, be seen as the basis of capitalism.
But besides the desire to possess things, some of us also like to experience
adrenaline kicks. These rushes of adrenaline were originally there to prepare our
bodies for fight or flight from predators and other dangers. Today, people watch
crime series or play “first-person shooter” computer games to get a similar thrill.
Like sexual satisfaction, the desire to possess things and to experience adrenaline
kicks is related to concomitant emotions such as greed and fear. Financial traders
know this very well.
9.3 Hunger for Information
Intellectual curiosity is a further driver of human behavior. It primarily comes into
play when the needs mentioned above have been sufficiently satisfied. Curiosity
drives us to explore our environment and seek to understand it. By explaining how
our world works, we can manipulate it better to our advantage. A trade-off between
exploration and exploitation is part of all long-term reward maximizing algorithms.
Individuals who solely focus on conventional sources of reward are quickly surpassed
by those who discover new, more profitable avenues. In order to encourage sufficient
efforts to explore our environment, our brain rewards insights with a dopaminebased hormonal rush. The effect of these hormones is excitement. In fact, as many
intellectuals and others will attest, thinking can create really great pleasure!
9.4 Lessons Learned
In summary, our body has several different incentive and reward systems. Many of
them are related with intrinsic hormonal, emotional, and nervous processes (the latter
include the „amygdala” area of the brain and the part of the nervous system called
the “solar plexus”). If we neglect these factors, we cannot gain a good understanding
of human behavior. Hence, any realistic description of human decision-making in
future must incorporate knowledge from those sciences that study our body and brain.
Currently established theoretical models appear to be insufficient.
For example, why do many people invest much time and energy in sport that
has little reproductive or material benefit? Why do people buy fast and expensive
cars that do not match their stated preferences? Why do people race or fight, ride
rollercoasters or go bungee jumping? It’s the related adrenaline kicks that explain it!