The Dominance Hierarchy; how to measure success to defeat feelings of inadequacy Part 2: The Psychology of The Hierarchy
Good
day fellow 7Cups users.
I am pleased that you are joining us for part 2 of this 3-part series.
Last time we explored exactly what a hierarchy is; I now hope to navigate
through the complex psychology of how a hierarchy is such a fundamental part of
life.
Researchers have studied the neuropsychology of many different of life for
decades which has led to many phenomenal discoveries. One of the many things
found was that across many different species, the serotonergic systems amongst them
were all very similar. This show why we can find similarities between ourselves,
and the primates mentioned in part 1. One of the things this system does is
record the perceived hierarchical position, it may or may not be accurate, but
it certainly has an impact on us nonetheless. When we lose a battle and
plummeted to a low position. We are biologically adjusted to protect ourselves
from the more threatening high-ranking members. Our body lowers serotonin
output in order to cause more anxiety. Anxiety primes our body to be in a
constant state of high arousal (our state of emotional state is measured on a
complex spectrum, one vital feature is its stimulation on our body), releasing
flight/fight hormones to help defend ourselves from a possible attack. It also
makes us hypervigilant to avoid a surprise attack. Being at the bottom of the
hierarchy is certainly not a fun place, being constantly physiologically
prepared to defend yourself certainly has its consequences. It consumes an
unmaintainable amount of energy which compromises other bodily functions, even
to the point it may weaker your immune system. On the opposite side of the
hierarchy, serotonin inhibitors become more active. We are on the top so there
is no need to be constantly prepared for a fight in the absence of a threat. We
become relaxed and confident, having time to plan to maintain this position.
Hierarchical structures in society are a primordial instinctual behavior that
we simply cannot be relieved of. The solution to this issue may be presumed as
simply “be more competent and you won’t be punished”. However, that fails to
resolve anything. If you become more skilled and gain a higher rank; someone
else falls, those are simply the laws of a hierarchy. We would simply make the
hierarchy a more competitive place (whether that is a good or bad thing is a different discussion, but it does not solve the problem at hand regardless).
Drawing to a close in part 2, we have answered the questions that were
originally sparked however another one emerges. How does one avoid the dreaded
life at the rock bottom of the hierarchy? This will be answered in the final part.