Know Your Biological Identity!

Dopamine and serotonin...

When defining people and trying to understand who they are, we often overlook two fundamental determinants: dopamine and serotonin. These two neurotransmitters form the deepest biological foundations of personality, behavior, and perspective on life. Both exist in the organism simultaneously — one may be dominant, or they may be balanced.

Dopamine is associated with aggression, desire, ambition, and unsatisfied emotions. It works together with noradrenaline and adrenaline released from the adrenal glands. Dopamine tends to be higher in young people; therefore risk-taking, pleasure-seeking, and susceptibility to addictions are seen more often. Individuals with high dopamine ‘buy pleasure,’ constantly seek a higher level, get bored quickly, lose interest, and seek applause, approval, and validation.

Serotonin, on the other hand, represents a completely different chemical identity. It is giving rather than taking — a hormone of peace and continuity. For serotonin, what matters is not reaching the goal, but the path toward it. It produces love, nourishes relationships, and supports calmness and harmony.

You can easily observe this around you: Some people always want to possess more, achieve more, and amplify pleasure — a dominant dopamine identity. Others find happiness in giving, sharing, and connecting — a serotonin identity.

These two identities define the basic behavioral patterns of human biology; however, they cannot be completely changed. Yet a person who understands their own identity can, over time, move toward a more mature and balanced state by supporting serotonin through medication or appropriate nutrition when necessary.

Nutrition plays a significant role in dopamine and serotonin production. Proteins in the human body are made of 20 amino acids; eight of these are essential and must be obtained from outside. Phenylalanine and tryptophan are the building blocks of dopamine and serotonin. Foods such as bananas, pineapples, red meats, certain grains, and especially turkey meat support serotonin production.

Sunlight is also very important. In northern countries where sunlight is limited, melatonin — the final product of serotonin — becomes suppressed; sleep patterns are disturbed and mood is affected. Therefore, paying attention to sources of tryptophan and phenylalanine in your own diet is an important step in understanding your biological identity.

Ultimately, you cannot completely change your identity; but you can balance it with awareness. When serotonin is high, dopamine may be supported; when dopamine is dominant, serotonin may be strengthened. Since approximately 90% of serotonin is produced in the gut and only 10% in the brain — and these two pools do not mix — nutrition becomes vital in this balance.

A person who truly recognizes their identity, understands their needs, and shapes their lifestyle accordingly can take a step toward a more peaceful, mature, and harmonious life.