Neurochemical Contributions to Dopamine-Seeking Behavior in the Absence of Sustained Motivation
Motivation is fundamentally regulated by the interaction of serotonergic and dopaminergic systems, where serotonin plays a stabilizing role in long-term goal-directed behavior and emotional resilience, while dopamine mediates short-term reward anticipation and reinforcement learning. When an individual has low baseline serotonin function — whether due to genetic predisposition, environmental stressors, or neuroadaptive changes — the ability to generate and sustain intrinsic motivation for effortful, meaningful work is compromised. However, structured internal value hierarchies (SIVH) may serve as a compensatory mechanism, potentially enhancing serotonin receptor sensitivity and stabilizing motivation over time, providing a more sustainable alternative to reliance on transient dopamine-driven external reinforcement.
Although this may seem obvious from a neuroscientific perspective, there is another aspect that is less immediately recognized and harder to prove scientifically, as such phenomena stem from multivariable causes, and a single-variable analysis would be superficial. However, many studies and projects I have participated in recently provide increasing empirical evidence supporting the dominance of structured internal value hierarchies over inherent personality traits in this interplay. Obviously, this operates within a continuous feedback loop, where one’s own behavior reinforces underlying beliefs, particularly regarding value hierarchies, and vice versa. However, there is growing evidence suggesting that the influential direction from internal value hierarchies toward behavior may be more significant than mainstream analysis currently assumes.
Base State Significance
The unsung hero (although entirely obvious from a neuroscientific perspective) is the interaction between psychometrics and singular monotheistic internal value hierarchies. A lack of an integrated value hierarchy can be seen as an important contributing factor to neuroticism through its influence on baseline serotonin levels — not necessarily by increasing serotonin production but rather through its impact on receptor efficiency and serotonin binding. Simply put, this means the individual "does not find the motivation to take action."
In other words, an individual in this state may still recognize the importance of engaging in long-term meaningful work but struggles to initiate it due to an insufficient serotonergic foundation supporting sustained effort. This creates a cognitive and emotional conflict: an awareness of the need for conscientiousness but an absence of the neurochemical drive necessary to act on it. The discomfort stemming from this motivational inertia leads to psychological suppression of the perceived failure to act, thus creating a need for alternative pathways to mood regulation.
Herein lies an important aspect that can also be studied from a psychoanalytic perspective. I believe such mechanisms, when repeated over time, become "automatic" or "unconscious" in the Freudian sense — though I would notnecessarily link them to sexuality to the extent Freud would.
Loss of Patience as a “quick cure”
To compensate for this lack of internally sustained motivation, the individual seeks out external, low-effort, but immediate sources of reward that elevate dopamine levels. These include activities such as social media engagement, attention-seeking behaviors, or transient social validation (e.g., likes, comments, new followers, notifications, online social interactions) — much like what my friend Reza Moezzi has explored in his article "Harmony in Temporality: A Psychoanalytic, Scientific, and Pedagogical Inquiry into Surah Al-Asr in the Quran."
Unlike long-term goal pursuit, these instant gratification-driven behaviors require minimal cognitive effort yet still trigger short-term dopamine surges, reinforcing a cycle of immediate but shallow gratification. Over time, this pattern can strengthen reliance on dopamine-driven external reinforcement while further weakening the ability to initiate and sustain long-term effortful tasks, particularly when serotonin remains chronically low. This does not imply that low serotonin is the sole cause of dopamine-seeking behavior, but rather that it serves as a strong contributing factor by impairing intrinsic motivation and increasing reliance on external mood-regulating mechanisms.
This framework aligns with existing research on dopaminergic reinforcement loops in social media use, serotonergic regulation of impulse control and emotional stability, and the role of motivation neurocircuitry in behavioral persistence versus reward-seeking tendencies. While causality is complex and bidirectional, as I have already acknowledged, the model proposed here offers a plausible neurobiological and psychological explanation for why individuals with lower serotonergic function are more susceptible to compulsive, short-term dopamine-seeking behaviors at the expense of sustained effort toward meaningful long-term goals.
The Importance of Monotheistic SIVH
The aspect that is harder to prove scientifically is the causal significance of Structured Internal Value Hierarchies (SIVH) in stabilizing serotonin reception by improving its binding efficiency over longer periods of time. At SelfFusion, we have observed extensive empirical evidence suggesting that SIVH-based approaches significantly outperform conventional “mindfulness” and meditation techniques in this regard. When combined with micro-routines aimed at increasing serotonin levels, we have seen breakthrough results demonstrating the positive effect of singular monotheistic internal value hierarchies.
One way to conceptualize externally structured and sufficiently dogmatic value hierarchies that can be internalized is through religion. In this regard, I see no fundamental difference — aside from cultural context — between Christianity and the Quran when it comes to the neurochemical mechanisms underlying these structures. This is why Reza Moezzi’s work aligns with the neurochemical explanation presented here.
I propose that this field be studied further, as there appears to be an archetypal influence of certain canonical narratives that extend beyond psychology and into fundamental neurochemical regulation. In my view, this is a subject that will soon move beyond the realm of pseudo-science and become more widely recognized as a clear link between structured belief systems and brain chemistry.
