Greed in the brain is managed through the dopamine pathways. Because dopamine is a pleasure hormone, it is short-lived. Thus greed drives one to have more dopamine. Lack of it shuts off the prefrontal-cortex connection with the medulla and olfactory cortex of the brain.
Greed is fuelled by dopamine, a busy hormone. Apart from keeping greed in business, dopamine's influence extends from voluntary movement to your involuntary sex life. The anticipation of a reward shoots off dopamine that makes you feel good.
Taken together, the morphological and functional characteristics of the prefrontal cortex are associated with greed.
In simplest terms, love is hate, and oxytocin is actually hate hormone too. The phenomenon that is played out by oxytocin is linked with something that psychologists call in-group and out-group division that our brain makes.
In the brain, oxytocin acts as a chemical messenger and has an important role in many human behaviours including sexual arousal, recognition, trust, romantic attachment and mother–infant bonding. As a result, oxytocin has been called the 'love hormone' or 'cuddle chemical'.
Most of the studies found higher levels of oxytocin during the orgasm or ejaculation. Given the sexual arousal evoked by self-stimulation in which sexual fantasies play an important role, it should be possible to postulate for a role of the oxytocin in sexual desire.
Fear Homones
The adrenal gland is an endocrine gland that produces two fear hormones—adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones are carried in the bloodstream to all parts of your body. Fear hormones are secreted by the adrenal gland, an endocrine gland located on top of your kidneys.
Most important in this regard is the male sex hormone testosterone, which is associated with increased aggression in both animals and in humans. Research conducted on a variety of animals has found a strong correlation between levels of testosterone and aggression.
Testosterone activates the subcortical areas of the brain to produce aggression, while cortisol and serotonin act antagonistically with testosterone to reduce its effects.
Unmet emotional needs
Greed can stem from emotional trauma and unmet needs. In a bid to replace the emptiness of emotional distress, a person can attempt to use objects or possessions. What happens if this becomes an addiction or there isn't enough money to fund this habit? A constant need to get money.
Greed is a natural (sincere) manifestation of insecurity.
You may have noticed an uptick in greedy behaviors as we all grapple with uncertain times. Insecurity leads to anxiety in individuals which later on manifest as greed. And it's a true feeling.
Far too often, greed comes with stress, exhaustion, anxiety, depression and despair. In addition, it can lead to maladaptive behaviour patterns such as gambling, hoarding, trickery and even theft.
Genetics. Some research suggests there is a genetic basis for greed. It is possible people who have a shorter version of the ruthlessness gene (AVPR1a) may behave more selfishly.
Based on the assumption that tomorrow will be much like yesterday, people become greedy as they seek the easy win of 'something for nothing. ' They also fear being left behind as prices rise beyond their financial reach.
Individuals with a greed addiction unconsciously link their fundamental human value to their financial worth and what drives their behavior is accumulating as much wealth as possible—and then using it to acquire still more wealth.
Hormonal imbalances are commonly associated with increased irritability. Common hormone culprits include testosterone and thyroid hormones (T3, T4, and TSH, or thyroid-stimulating hormone). Testosterone is a hormone produced by the adrenal cortex, testes in men, and ovaries in women.
For some anxious people, their moods may be caused by an abundance of stress hormones — most notably, adrenaline and cortisol.
The most intense phases of development occur in Stages 3 and 4, between ages 12 and 15. How do hormones affect teen behavior and mood? Teenagers frequently experience mood swings and intense emotions as a result of the new feelings and experiences prompted by teenage hormones.
As soon as you recognize fear, your amygdala (small organ in the middle of your brain) goes to work. It alerts your nervous system, which sets your body's fear response into motion. Stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are released. Your blood pressure and heart rate increase.
Adrenaline and noradrenaline are dubbed emergency hormones or Fight or Flight hormones. These hormones are rapidly released in reaction to stress of any kind and during emergency situations. These hormones stimulate alertness, pupil dilation, piloerection (hair growth), perspiration, and other bodily functions.
Our stomachs and intestines store our feelings of fear. The adage, 'I am sick to my stomach' justifies this. Fear is another negative emotion that has far-reaching repercussions on our health. It can cause digestion problems, pain in the gut, bloating, constipation and even Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Its best to begin with light small touches on the arms and hands, to make the oxytocin effect kick in.
Men have been shown to be particularly sensitive to physical contact, so touch likely boosted their oxytocin levels considerably, Melton says. “Justifying small ways to make any activity one where we're touching our partner, whether that's touching of the arm or around the shoulder, [could be useful],” Melton says.
Oxytocin is sometimes called the love hormone because it's responsible for some of the positive emotions you feel during attraction and sexual desire.