What kind of man is right for you - Helen Fisher's love formula. “Formula of Love”: Who is your ideal partner?


Helen Fisher is an American anthropologist, researcher of human behavior and author of self-improvement techniques. She has been studying romantic interpersonal attraction for over 30 years. He is a leading expert on the biology of love and attraction. Helen Fisher's work on the brain structures involved in character, tastes, and attachments has been featured in academic journals, TED talks, and even on the dating site Match.com. Today, her ideas are used by businesses - for example, companies such as Deloitte. As a fellow at the Kinsey Institute and Rutgers University, Helen Fisher advises senior executives. In 2015, Fisher and David Labno, an expert on leadership and innovation, founded NeuroColor, a corporate consulting company.

How did you move from analyzing personal relationships to studying professional ones?

My work on personality became known, and Dave Labno, whom we did not know at the time, heard me interviewed on National Public Radio. He called and said: “Helen, you’re not studying love - you’re studying relationships.” I immediately realized: he was right! My Matching Questionnaire applies to families, friends, colleagues and clients. Dave worked in this business for a long time, knew all the personality tests - and realized that I had found something breakthrough.

Why is your test better than others?

It is based on brain chemistry. When creating the questionnaire, I relied on the work of neuroscientists, and when validating it, together with my colleagues, I used functional MRI data.

A person’s personality is determined by two interacting factors: culture (norms introduced by upbringing) and temperament (determined by genes, hormones and neurotransmitters). I study temperament. I began to look for the answer to Match.com’s question about why we fall in love with this or that person in neuroscience. I studied the literature for two years and became increasingly convinced that each character trait is associated with one of four hormonal systems - dopamine/norepinephrine, serotonin, testosterone and estrogen/oxytocin. This pattern has been identified not only in humans, but also in monkeys, pigeons and even lizards.

And how are they connected?

The expression of certain dopamine system genes causes curiosity, creativity, impulsivity, energy and mental flexibility. Such people love risk and novelty. Those who have high serotonin levels (or who take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors as antidepressants) are outgoing and easy to socialize. They are conservative and do not seek to explore the world. The expression of testosterone makes a person stubborn, straightforward, determined, skeptical and assertive - and also prone to rigorous disciplines: engineering, IT, mechanics, mathematics and music. Finally, the predominance of estrogen/oxytocin is characteristic of intuitives and empaths - thoughtful, imaginative and inclined to trust others.

In consultation with a statistician, I developed questions to assess the severity of traits associated with each of the four systems. We then posted them on Match.com and Chemistry.com and tracked how people gravitated towards each other.

How did you ensure the accuracy of the results?

I conducted two MRI studies: one with young couples and one with older couples. Participants answered questions and were sent to the tomograph. It turned out that people with high scores on “dopamine” questions have increased activity in dopamine pathways. For “serotonin people,” the area responsible for the perception of social norms works intensively. “Testosterone” participants demonstrated maximum activity in the structures responsible for visual perception and mathematical thinking, as well as in areas influenced by fetal testosterone. Finally, those with high estrogen/oxytocin scores had increased activity in mirror neurons responsible for empathy, as well as areas influenced by fetal estrogen. This is what sets my test apart from others: it measures exactly what it claims to measure.

Does this mean that other tests are not needed?

I am not against established systems based on psychology, linguistics or even intuition - but I believe that they are less accurate: they do not use the strict scientific method. For example, the Myers-Briggs test assesses four dimensions: extraversion/introversion, intuition/common sense, feeling/thinking, and perceiving/judging. Feeling/thinking questions contrast traits associated with estrogen/oxytocin and testosterone. Perception/judgment is a choice between dopamine and serotonin traits. Here the test is structured correctly. But the opposition between intuition and common sense “collides” estrogen and serotonin - but in the brain their structures do not oppose each other.

Regarding extroversion/introversion, Isabel Myers herself once said that this parameter determines how a person receives energy: being in company or being alone. However, questions on this section also determine whether a person is introverted or sociable - and this is completely different. For example, I, like many, are sociable introverts: we love chatting with friends, but need solitude to “recharge.”

Another problem with this and many other tests is the tendency to categorize people. But the brain cannot be categorized. Yes, my test determines to what extent you have traits associated with each of the neurosystems: some may be stronger, others weaker - it’s all a matter of degree of expression.

But you, Match, and Deloitte label a person as one dominant system. What is the benefit of such an assessment?

Here's an example. I recently worked with a man who, like me, has high dopamine levels. But his serotonin, which averts risk, was much higher than mine. And when a problem arose, I was confident in my assessment of the situation, but he became cautious. If I didn't know brain chemistry, I would have thought he was stubborn. But I understood: it’s all serotonin. His doubts are caused not by me personally and not by our project - but by his nature. This knowledge allowed me to smooth out the brewing conflict and unite us. Now I see the benefits of its serotonin for us.

That is, it is necessary not only to determine the personal characteristics of employees, but also to adapt to colleagues?

Certainly. You can change the delivery of information, the answers to questions, and even your body language so that people with different personalities will better perceive your words. Another example. A Deloitte senior partner who had been listening to my lectures was about to speak to an important client. When his team prepared the presentation, it was midnight and everyone was getting ready for bed. But he suddenly realized that the speech was too much theory and not enough specifics, and the listeners, top managers of an international bank, were probably “serotonin addicts.” Everyone went back to work, redid the presentation, and closed the million-dollar deal. Knowing how to find an approach to a person, you will reach anyone - a client, a boss, a subordinate.

Is it possible to change your character and mindset?

Yes, but not completely. For example, math ability is tied to testosterone levels. I do not have them. If I had grown up in a family of physicists and architects, I would have known mathematics better - but still I would never have reached heights in it. Or, let's say, is it possible to make me stubborn? Hardly. Sometimes I have to act tough, but it makes me uncomfortable. I remember after my lecture at the Smithsonian Institution, a female executive came up to me and complained: “At work, I am decisive and authoritarian, but at home my husband wanted to see me soft and gentle. I can be like that, but I get very tired of it.” As a result, she had to get a divorce. Yes, we can all go against our character - but it's hard. At NeuroColor, we ask test takers to answer questions twice: first with reference to the job, then without reference to it. This is an excellent criterion for sincerity: where is it easier for you to be yourself?

Will tests in the future be able to prompt decisions when hiring, appointing, and forming a team? For example, “serotonin specialists” - to the accounting department, “dopamine specialists” - to the modernization department?

I don't think it's a good idea to sort people like that. But, of course, I would take this information into account: it helps build a team. It was not by chance that the four styles of thinking and behavior were formed in the process of evolution. Imagine: primitive people are looking for a place to camp and suddenly they find mushrooms. If there are only “dopamine addicts” among them, they will rush to try mushrooms and, possibly, get poisoned. It is necessary that there be serotonin individuals who will say: “Stop, we don’t eat that,” and testosterone individuals who will offer to test mushrooms on a dog, and estrogen individuals who will try to find out who knows what about mushrooms. We think differently in order to find optimal solutions together, and the team must have different personality types. Today there is a lot of talk about the need for racial, gender and cultural diversity, but they forget about diversity of thought. It's great to have women and minorities in the company - but if everyone has the same temperament, diversity isn't as great as it seems.

You've tested people all over the world. Are there any differences between countries?

The head of Match once asked me if my questionnaire works in other countries. I replied that if it malfunctions somewhere, it will reveal its unsuitability, because I study not Americans, but people in general. Today the test is used in 40 countries.

However, I discovered a number of regional peculiarities. For example, among the Chinese and Japanese there are many people of the serotonin type. When I told Princeton geneticist Lee Silver about this, he was not surprised. It turns out that there is a gene responsible for complying with social norms, which is especially common in China and Japan. There is also a “dopamine” gene, characteristic of the inhabitants of the Amazon basin. Perhaps inquisitive dopamine individuals came there from Africa, when the continents had not yet separated. Or maybe only these personality types survived in the Amazon. So temperaments influence entire cultures - and organizations.

Testosterone and estrogen are sex hormones. Will your technique reinforce gender stereotypes?

Yes, testosterone is more common in men, and estrogen is more common in women. But each of us is a combination of character traits. I am an estrogen person: in a team I am non-conflict and I know how to listen. But when I work alone, dopamine is accentuated in me: I am creative and focused. Testosterone is realized less: I am not stubborn and have bad counting. But at the same time I think logically. It is necessary to take into account all aspects: by understanding how they are balanced in a person, you can see his personality in volume.

Comments: 0

    Despite the fact that palmistry is considered a pseudoscience, scientific research confirms that the length of the fingers can indeed predict some character traits and abilities. In scientific “palmistry”, such an indicator is used as the Manning index - the ratio of the lengths of the ring and index fingers.

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    An international team of geneticists and psychologists used a sample of more than 6,000 pairs of twins to determine what factors determine the high heritability of English students' post-secondary exam scores. It turned out that not only general intelligence contributes to the heritability of exam results, but also many other traits, the formation of which also significantly depends on genes. This means that innate characteristics are more important for academic success than is commonly believed.

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“Parting is all you need to know about hell,” is how American biologist and anthropologist Helen Fisher likes to start her speeches. The author of several bestselling non-fiction books about love, she has spent decades studying which area of ​​the human brain is responsible for romantic love. After her research, Helen came up with her theory about why we are attracted to certain people and not others at all.

Today website invites you to get acquainted with Helen Fisher’s personality typology, determine your type and your partner’s. We have all been happy and unhappy in love, and it is likely that this is due to biochemistry much more than we thought.

A tiny area of ​​our brain is responsible for the feeling of falling in love.

Do you recognize yourself in Dr. Fisher's typology? What's your type?

Helen Fisher's work on the brain structures involved in character, tastes, and attachments has been featured in academic journals, TED talks, and even on the dating site Match.com. Today, her ideas are used by businesses - for example, companies such as Deloitte. As a fellow at the Kinsey Institute and Rutgers University, Helen Fisher advises senior executives. In 2015, Fisher and David Labno, an expert on leadership and innovation, founded NeuroColor, a corporate consulting company.

How did you move from analyzing personal relationships to studying professional ones? My work on personality became known, and Dave Labno, whom we did not know at the time, heard me interviewed on National Public Radio. He called and said: “Helen, you’re not studying love - you’re studying relationships.” I immediately realized: he was right! My Matching Questionnaire applies to families, friends, colleagues and clients. Dave worked in this business for a long time, knew all the personality tests - and realized that I had found something breakthrough.

Why is your test better than others? It is based on brain chemistry. When creating the questionnaire, I relied on the work of neuroscientists, and when validating it, together with my colleagues, I used functional MRI data.

A person’s personality is determined by two interacting factors: culture (norms introduced by upbringing) and temperament (determined by genes, hormones and neurotransmitters). I study temperament. I began to look for the answer to Match.com’s question about why we fall in love with this or that person in neuroscience. I studied the literature for two years and became increasingly convinced that each character trait is associated with one of four hormonal systems - dopamine/norepinephrine, serotonin, testosterone and estrogen/oxytocin. This pattern has been identified not only in humans, but also in monkeys, pigeons and even lizards.

And how are they connected? The expression of certain dopamine system genes causes curiosity, creativity, impulsivity, energy and mental flexibility. Such people love risk and novelty. Those who have high serotonin levels (or who take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors as antidepressants) are outgoing and easy to socialize. They are conservative and do not seek to explore the world. The expression of testosterone makes a person stubborn, straightforward, determined, skeptical and assertive - and also prone to rigorous disciplines: engineering, IT, mechanics, mathematics and music. Finally, the predominance of estrogen/oxytocin is characteristic of intuitives and empaths - thoughtful, imaginative and inclined to trust others.

In consultation with a statistician, I developed questions to assess the severity of traits associated with each of the four systems. We then posted them on Match.com and Chemistry.com and tracked how people gravitated towards each other.

How did you ensure the accuracy of the results? I conducted two MRI studies: one with young couples and one with older couples. Participants answered questions and were sent to the tomograph. It turned out that people with high scores on “dopamine” questions have increased activity in dopamine pathways. For “serotonin people,” the area responsible for the perception of social norms works intensively. “Testosterone” participants demonstrated maximum activity in the structures responsible for visual perception and mathematical thinking, as well as in areas influenced by fetal testosterone. Finally, those with high estrogen/oxytocin scores had increased activity in mirror neurons responsible for empathy, as well as areas influenced by fetal estrogen. This is what sets my test apart from others: it measures exactly what it claims to measure.

Does this mean that other tests are not needed? I am not against established systems based on psychology, linguistics or even intuition - but I believe that they are less accurate: they do not use the strict scientific method. For example, the Myers-Briggs test assesses four dimensions: extraversion/introversion, intuition/common sense, feeling/thinking, and perceiving/judging. Feeling/thinking questions contrast traits associated with estrogen/oxytocin and testosterone. Perception/judgment is a choice between dopamine and serotonin traits. Here the test is structured correctly. But the opposition between intuition and common sense “collides” estrogen and serotonin - but in the brain their structures do not oppose each other.

Regarding extroversion/introversion, Isabel Myers herself once said that this parameter determines how a person receives energy: being in company or being alone. However, questions on this section also determine whether a person is introverted or sociable - and this is completely different. For example, I, like many, are sociable introverts: we love chatting with friends, but need solitude to “recharge.”

Another problem with this and many other tests is the tendency to categorize people. But the brain cannot be categorized. Yes, my test determines to what extent you have traits associated with each of the neurosystems: some may be stronger, others weaker - it’s all a matter of degree of expression.

But you, Match, and Deloitte label a person as one dominant system. What is the benefit of such an assessment? Here's an example. I recently worked with a man who, like me, has high dopamine levels. But his serotonin, which averts risk, was much higher than mine. And when a problem arose, I was confident in my assessment of the situation, but he became cautious. If I didn't know brain chemistry, I would have thought he was stubborn. But I understood: it’s all serotonin. His doubts are caused not by me personally and not by our project - but by his nature. This knowledge allowed me to smooth out the brewing conflict and unite us. Now I see the benefits of its serotonin for us.

That is, it is necessary not only to determine the personal characteristics of employees, but also to adapt to colleagues? Certainly. You can change the delivery of information, the answers to questions, and even your body language so that people with different personalities will better perceive your words. Another example. A Deloitte senior partner who had been listening to my lectures was about to speak to an important client. When his team prepared the presentation, it was midnight and everyone was getting ready for bed. But he suddenly realized that the speech was too much theory and not enough specifics, and the listeners, top managers of an international bank, were probably “serotonin addicts.” Everyone went back to work, redid the presentation, and closed the million-dollar deal. Knowing how to find an approach to a person, you will reach anyone - a client, a boss, a subordinate.

Is it possible to change your character and mindset? Yes, but not completely. For example, math ability is tied to testosterone levels. I do not have them. If I had grown up in a family of physicists and architects, I would have known mathematics better - but still I would never have reached heights in it. Or, let's say, is it possible to make me stubborn? Hardly. Sometimes I have to act tough, but it makes me uncomfortable. I remember after my lecture at the Smithsonian Institution, a female executive came up to me and complained: “At work, I am decisive and authoritarian, but at home my husband wanted to see me soft and gentle. I can be like that, but I get very tired of it.” As a result, she had to get a divorce. Yes, we can all go against our character - but it's hard. At NeuroColor, we ask test takers to answer questions twice: first with reference to the job, then without reference to it. This is an excellent criterion for sincerity: where is it easier for you to be yourself?

Will tests in the future be able to prompt decisions when hiring, appointing, and forming a team? For example, “serotonin specialists” - to the accounting department, “dopamine specialists” - to the modernization department?

You've tested people all over the world. Are there any differences between countries? The head of Match once asked me if my questionnaire works in other countries. I replied that if it malfunctions somewhere, it will reveal its unsuitability, because I study not Americans, but people in general. Today the test is used in 40 countries.

However, I discovered a number of regional peculiarities. For example, among the Chinese and Japanese there are many people of the serotonin type. When I told Princeton geneticist Lee Silver about this, he was not surprised. It turns out that there is a gene responsible for complying with social norms, which is especially common in China and Japan. There is also a “dopamine” gene, characteristic of the inhabitants of the Amazon basin. Perhaps inquisitive dopamine individuals came there from Africa, when the continents had not yet separated. Or maybe only these personality types survived in the Amazon. So temperaments influence entire cultures - and organizations.

Testosterone and estrogen are sex hormones. Will your technique reinforce gender stereotypes? Yes, testosterone is more common in men, and estrogen is more common in women. But each of us is a combination of character traits. I am an estrogen person: in a team I am non-conflict and I know how to listen. But when I work alone, dopamine is accentuated in me: I am creative and focused. Testosterone is realized less: I am not stubborn and have bad counting. But at the same time I think logically. It is necessary to take into account all aspects: by understanding how they are balanced in a person, you can see his personality in volume.

I don't think it's a good idea to sort people like that. But, of course, I would take this information into account: it helps build a team. It was not by chance that the four styles of thinking and behavior were formed in the process of evolution. Imagine: primitive people are looking for a place to camp and suddenly they find mushrooms. If there are only “dopamine addicts” among them, they will rush to try mushrooms and, possibly, get poisoned. It is necessary that there be serotonin individuals who will say: “Stop, we don’t eat that,” and testosterone individuals who will offer to test mushrooms on a dog, and estrogen individuals who will try to find out who knows what about mushrooms. We think differently in order to find optimal solutions together, and the team must have different personality types. Today there is a lot of talk about the need for racial, gender and cultural diversity, but they forget about diversity of thought. It's great to have women and minorities in the company - but if everyone has the same temperament, diversity isn't as great as it seems.
Three of her books were published in Russia:
“Why we love. The Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love." 2012. The book is in ours, you can download it.
"Love Formula. The key to a successful relationship." 2013

“Alchemy of love. Formula for successful relationships." 2014
Professor of anthropology from Rutgers University (New Jersey, USA) Helen Fisher has been researching the nature and chemistry of love for more than 35 years.

On her personal website you can watch videos of her lectures in English; there are videos online with interlinear translations into Russian.

As a result of her scientific research, she came to the conclusion that there are four types of personalities, depending on which hormones govern our state of romantic love.

Helen Fisher's typology is based on the division of people depending on the level of such chemically active substances as dopamine, serotonin, testosterone and estrogen, which are synthesized in the body.

If the production of dopamine predominates, then the person is constantly in search of something new. She called the people in this group “researchers.”

People with high testosterone levels (regardless of gender) fall into the third group - the group of “directors”, as they are decisive, demanding, have a sober view of the world and have good strategic thinking.

Individuals who are dominated by the hormone estrogen (it affects both men and women) are creative, sensitive people who are excellent negotiators, have a large number of verbal and social skills and are able to collect and analyze disparate facts. She called them “negotiators.”

She identified which of these psychotypes lead to high-quality, harmonious relationships, which is why she created this test.

Choose one answer for each question. Calculate the result for each part of the test, but do not add them together.

Absolutely disagree = 0

Disagree = 1

Agree = 2

Absolutely agree = 3

1: Explorer

Unforeseen situations excite me

I often act on the spur of the moment

I have a wide range of interests

I'm more optimistic than most people

I'm more creative than most people

I'm doing something new all the time

I'm more of an enthusiast than most people

I am willing to take risks to achieve my goals

My friends think I'm very inquisitive

I have more energy than most people

2: Builder

I think having a consistent routine keeps life organized and calming.

People must act in accordance with established standards of correct behavior

I like to plan my future actions

In general, I believe in following the rules

It is very important to me that my things are in order

My friends and family think I have traditional views

I try to be careful but not cowardly

People must act morally right

It is very important to respect authority

It's better to have loyal rather than interesting friends

3: Director

I can easily understand complex mechanisms

I like controversy

I am more analytical and logical than most people

I know how to resolve problems without letting emotions take over.

I'm thinking clearly

Argument is a way to compete in wit

I have no difficulty making a choice, even if at first several options seem equally good

If I buy new equipment (computer, washing machine, car...), I want to know all its technical parameters

I think it's important to be frank

When making a decision, I prefer to consider facts first and not human feelings

4: Negotiator

I want to know how my friends feel

When making important decisions, I usually listen to the voice of my heart

I change my mind easily

If I watch a sensual film, then even a few hours after I feel awe

I can clearly see both wonderful and terrible things happening to me.

I react very strongly to other people's feelings and needs.

Often during the day I think deeply

I give in to my feelings more than other people

If I had a vivid dream, then when I wake up, it takes me a few seconds to come to my senses

I'm very empathic

The two highest scores show your primary and secondary type, such as Explorer/Negotiator

Researcher

Explorers (under the influence of dopamine) are curious, impulsive, and creative. When describing themselves and the qualities of their future partner, Researchers most often use the word “adventure”.

Pros: Researchers are adaptable and can play many different roles. They are charismatic and usually good storytellers.

Con: According to Helen Fisher, Explorers often “sleep with their shoes on.” If things don't work out in a relationship with another person, they may suddenly leave them without thinking about whether they are doing the right thing. In addition, they find it difficult to talk about their feelings.

Best partner: Explorer.

Builder The main characteristic of the Builder (under the influence of serotonin) is the need to plan everything, act methodically and follow his habits. Serotonin also promotes the body's release of oxytocin, a hormone associated with feelings of trust.

Pros: According to Helen Fisher, Builders (and Negotiators) are much more likely to seek sustainable relationships than other people. They are usually well organized, persistent and patient.

Con: Serotonin also causes emotional harshness. Because of this, Builders often bicker over small things.

Best partner: Builder.

Director Directors (under the influence of testosterone) tend to express themselves easily. They are courageous, independent and resourceful. There is a connection between testosterone and imaginative thinking, and many Directors become talented musicians.

Pros: Directors are usually resourceful and can make decisions easily. According to Helen Fisher, this is the type of person who would rush into a burning building to save a stranger.

Cons: CEOs may have a hard time with their tendency to evaluate others' thoughts or express their own feelings, and as a result, they are attracted to emotional people.

Best partner: Negotiator.

Negotiator Estrogen, the hormone that defines the character of the Negotiator, stimulates imagination, intuition and abstract thinking. Negotiators are good at seeing the big picture and can connect disparate information into one whole.

Pros: Negotiators easily get into a good mood. They perfectly understand the body language and expressions of other people's faces.

Arguments against: Their intense interest in other people is often perceived as interference in other people's lives. They also often seem flippant because they view a problem or solution from different perspectives.

Best partner: Director.

Continuing the topic: Each character trait is associated with one of four hormone systems - dopamine/norepinephrine, serotonin, testosterone and estrogen/oxytocin.

In 2015, Helen Fisher and David Labno, an expert on leadership and innovation, founded NeuroColor, a corporate consulting company.

Interview with Helen Fisher

(interviewed by Alison Beard).

 - How did you move from analyzing personal relationships to studying professional ones?

My work on personality became known, and Dave Labno, whom we did not know at the time, heard me interviewed on National Public Radio. He called and said: “Helen, you’re not studying love - you’re studying relationships.” I immediately realized: he was right! My Matching Questionnaire applies to families, friends, colleagues and clients. Dave worked in this business for a long time, knew all the personality tests - and realized that I had found something breakthrough.

 - Why is your test better than others?

It is based on brain chemistry. When creating the questionnaire, I relied on the work of neuroscientists, and when validating it, together with my colleagues, I used functional MRI data. A person’s personality is determined by two interacting factors: culture (norms introduced by upbringing) and temperament (determined by genes, hormones and neurotransmitters). I study temperament. I began to look for the answer to the question of why we fall in love with this or that person in neurology. I studied the literature for two years and became increasingly convinced that each character trait is associated with one of four hormonal systems - dopamine/norepinephrine, serotonin, testosterone and estrogen/oxytocin. This pattern has been identified not only in humans, but also in monkeys, pigeons and even lizards.

 - And how are they connected?

The expression of certain dopamine system genes causes curiosity, creativity, impulsivity, energy and mental flexibility. Such people love risk and novelty. Those who have high serotonin levels (or who take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors as antidepressants) are outgoing and easy to socialize. They are conservative and do not seek to explore the world. The expression of testosterone makes a person stubborn, straightforward, determined, skeptical and assertive - and also prone to rigorous disciplines: engineering, IT, mechanics, mathematics and music. Finally, the predominance of estrogen/oxytocin is characteristic of intuitives and empaths - thoughtful, imaginative and inclined to trust others. In consultation with a statistician, I developed questions to assess the severity of traits associated with each of the four systems. We then posted them on Match.com and Chemistry.com and tracked how people gravitated towards each other.

 - How did you ensure the accuracy of the results?

I conducted two MRI studies: one with young couples and one with older couples. Participants answered questions and were sent to the tomograph. It turned out that people with high scores on “dopamine” questions have increased activity in dopamine pathways. For “serotonin people,” the area responsible for the perception of social norms works intensively. “Testosterone” participants demonstrated maximum activity in the structures responsible for visual perception and mathematical thinking, as well as in areas influenced by fetal testosterone. Finally, those with high estrogen/oxytocin scores had increased activity in mirror neurons responsible for empathy, as well as areas influenced by fetal estrogen. This is what sets my test apart from others: it measures exactly what it claims to measure.

 - Does this mean that other tests are not needed?

I am not against established systems based on psychology, linguistics or even intuition - but I believe that they are less accurate: they do not use the strict scientific method. For example, the Myers-Briggs test assesses four dimensions: extraversion/introversion, intuition/common sense, feeling/thinking, and perceiving/judging. Feeling/thinking questions contrast traits associated with estrogen/oxytocin and testosterone. Perception/judgment is a choice between dopamine and serotonin traits. Here the test is structured correctly. But the opposition between intuition and common sense “collides” estrogen and serotonin - but in the brain their structures do not oppose each other. Regarding extroversion/introversion, Isabel Myers herself once said that this parameter determines how a person receives energy: being in company or being alone. However, questions on this section also determine whether a person is introverted or sociable - and this is completely different. For example, I, like many, are sociable introverts: we love chatting with friends, but need solitude to “recharge.” Another problem with this and many other tests is the tendency to categorize people. But the brain cannot be categorized. Yes, my test determines to what extent you have traits associated with each of the neurosystems: some may be stronger, others weaker - it’s all a matter of degree of expression.

 - But you, Match, and Deloitte label a person as one dominant system. What is the benefit of such an assessment?

Here's an example. I recently worked with a man who, like me, has high dopamine levels. But his serotonin, which averts risk, was much higher than mine. And when a problem arose, I was confident in my assessment of the situation, but he became cautious. If I didn't know brain chemistry, I would have thought he was stubborn. But I understood: it’s all serotonin. His doubts are caused not by me personally and not by our project - but by his nature. This knowledge allowed me to smooth out the brewing conflict and unite us. Now I see the benefits of its serotonin for us.

 - That is, it is necessary not only to determine the personal characteristics of employees, but also to adapt to colleagues?

Certainly. You can change the delivery of information, the answers to questions, and even your body language so that people with different personalities will better perceive your words. Another example. A Deloitte senior partner who had been listening to my lectures was about to speak to an important client. When his team prepared the presentation, it was midnight and everyone was getting ready for bed. But he suddenly realized that the speech was too much theory and not enough specifics, and the listeners, top managers of an international bank, were probably “serotonin addicts.” Everyone went back to work, redid the presentation, and closed the million-dollar deal. Knowing how to find an approach to a person, you will reach anyone - a client, a boss, a subordinate.

 - Is it possible to change your character and mindset?

Yes, but not completely. For example, math ability is tied to testosterone levels. I do not have them. If I had grown up in a family of physicists and architects, I would have known mathematics better - but still I would never have reached heights in it. Or, let's say, is it possible to make me stubborn? Hardly. Sometimes I have to act tough, but it makes me uncomfortable. I remember after my lecture at the Smithsonian Institution, a female executive came up to me and complained: “At work, I am decisive and authoritarian, but at home my husband wanted to see me soft and gentle. I can be like that, but I get very tired of it.” As a result, she had to get a divorce. Yes, we can all go against our character - but it's hard. At NeuroColor, we ask test takers to answer questions twice: first with reference to the job, then without reference to it. This is an excellent criterion for sincerity: where is it easier for you to be yourself?

 - Will tests in the future be able to prompt decisions when hiring, appointing, and forming a team? For example, “serotonin specialists” - to the accounting department, “dopamine specialists” - to the modernization department?

I don't think it's a good idea to sort people like that. But, of course, I would take this information into account: it helps build a team. It was not by chance that the four styles of thinking and behavior were formed in the process of evolution. Imagine: primitive people are looking for a place to camp and suddenly they find mushrooms. If there are only “dopamine addicts” among them, they will rush to try mushrooms and, possibly, get poisoned. It is necessary that there be serotonin individuals who will say: “Stop, we don’t eat that,” and testosterone individuals who will offer to test mushrooms on a dog, and estrogen individuals who will try to find out who knows what about mushrooms. We think differently in order to find optimal solutions together, and the team must have different personality types. Today there is a lot of talk about the need for racial, gender and cultural diversity, but they forget about diversity of thought. It's great to have women and minorities in the company - but if everyone has the same temperament, diversity isn't as great as it seems.

 - You tested people all over the world. Are there any differences between countries?

The head of Match once asked me if my questionnaire works in other countries. I replied that if it malfunctions somewhere, it will reveal its unsuitability, because I study not Americans, but people in general. Today the test is used in 40 countries. However, I discovered a number of regional peculiarities. For example, among the Chinese and Japanese there are many people of the serotonin type. When I told Princeton geneticist Lee Silver about this, he was not surprised. It turns out that there is a gene responsible for complying with social norms, which is especially common in China and Japan. There is also a “dopamine” gene, characteristic of the inhabitants of the Amazon basin. Perhaps inquisitive dopamine individuals came there from Africa, when the continents had not yet separated. Or maybe only these personality types survived in the Amazon. So temperaments influence entire cultures - and organizations.

 - Testosterone and estrogen are sex hormones. Will your technique reinforce gender stereotypes?

Yes, testosterone is more common in men, and estrogen is more common in women. But each of us is a combination of character traits. I am an estrogen person: in a team I am non-conflict and I know how to listen. But when I work alone, dopamine is accentuated in me: I am creative and focused. Testosterone is realized less: I am not stubborn and have bad counting. But at the same time I think logically. It is necessary to take into account all aspects: by understanding how they are balanced in a person, you can see his personality in volume.

We have more than 1800 storage units. There is also on the topic of this article:

A. Gulenkov “Chemistry of Love”

Larry Young, Brian Alexander "The Chemistry of Love. A scientific view of love, sex and attraction."

Anthropologist Helen Fisher spent 30 years persistently searching for an answer to the question: “What does love depend on and what is its nature?” The result of these studies was the publication of the book “Why Him? Why she? How to Find and Keep Lasting Love" (Why Him? Why Her?: How to Find and Keep Lasting Love) in 2009.

The author identified four types of people depending on the ratio in which the human body produces the hormones dopamine, serotonin, estrogen and testosterone. From Helen's point of view, a person's character and temperament are determined by the dominant hormone. This also includes the Fisher test for hormones and personality determination.

This theory describes the pros and cons of each type. Knowing your type, you can avoid mistakes, disappointments and find a person with whom it is easy to build a harmonious relationship.

When falling in love, do not run to donate blood for hormones. Love it! But remember that. When it comes to starting a family, “if you choose a partner that is hormonally appropriate, it is much easier to maintain the union,” says Dr. Fisher. Those unions that do not fit into the theory can also be stable. But in such cases, partners will need to make efforts to maintain harmony in the relationship.

The advantage of the dominant hormone theory is that it eliminates illusions. Idealizing relationships, women want to see a combination of mutually exclusive traits in a partner: during the courtship period, a man “should” be romantic and inventive, in critical situations he should easily cope with difficult tasks, in communicating with his wife he should be understanding and generous, and in everyday life he should be responsible, balanced and live by the rules. This is unattainable. One type or another predominates in every person: explorer, builder, director or diplomat.

Researcher.

Physiology is dominated by the hormones dopamine and adrenaline. Due to the fact that dopamine is directly related to exploratory behavior, Fisher called the type of people with a predominance of this hormone researchers.

Character traits:

“+” excellent physical and intellectual development, cognitive flexibility, and excess energy determine the search for new experiences and adventures. Curiosity and creativity contribute to the constant generation of new ideas. Developed leadership qualities (enthusiasm, determination, concentration, self-motivation) do not guarantee success due to negative traits.

“-” difficult to educate, passion for risk, low level of self-analysis and weak inhibition, inability to perform routine activities, independence and unpredictability, determines the inability to have a strict routine and strictly adhere to deadlines.

Life credo: “Rules are made to be broken”

Features of the union. The “dopamine addict” also strives for new experiences in relationships. The “candy-bouquet” period will be delightful. A virtuoso in courtship, he strives to conquer the object of his love. A “researcher” in love is ready to go to the ends of the world for the sake of love and, by analogy, expects your readiness! The relationship is developing beautifully and rapidly, but will quickly come to an end. Dopamine will push a person to new searches and escape from boredom.

Building a stable relationship with the Researcher is a labor-intensive task. His freedom cannot be limited. It is possible to keep such a person only by being extraordinary and surprising. Add angelic patience and as a reward you will receive an enchanting relationship: the researcher will bring unexpected and new things into your life together.

Harmonious Union possible “researcher” with “researcher” in the marriage scenario “Exciting Journey”, “Porn Story” and “Wonderful Collection”.

In family relationships with another type of people, tension will increase. Among stable couples, in only 1% of cases one of the partners was the Explorer. “On the marriage market, people of this type are not very valuable commodities,” says Helen Fisher. - They try to avoid routine; they quickly become bored in relationships. Plus, they are indifferent to the principles and habits of another person.” Dopamine addicts often remain lonely.

Friendship with interesting people.

Examples. There are approximately 9.5% of such people. The race car driver, rocker, bad boy, Don Juan and avid traveler are classic representatives of this type: John F. Kennedy, Princess Diana, Angelina Jolie, Richard Branson, Barack Obama, Boris Nemtsov, Vitaly Sundakov.

A socially acceptable and successful form of manifestation of the dopamine type:

Builder.

Helen Fisher called the type of people with high levels of serotonin “builders.” Serotonin is the hormone of joy.

Character traits:

“+” self-control and calmness, good mood and sociability allow them to manage people, both in the family and at work.
Compliance with social norms, love of order, adherence to traditions, obedience to the law, loyalty, respect for authority and power, makes them good citizens. Concrete thinking, sustained attention, mathematical abilities, conscientiousness, thoroughness in choosing decisions, accuracy, love for details and facts allow them to achieve success in a business that does not require risk.
A high need for belonging, an average need for freedom, religiosity without fanaticism, caution without cowardice, constancy, loyalty, reliability and honesty make them ideal family men.

“-” Controlling moralists are stubborn, boring, pedantic and calculating.

Life credo: “Order is above all”

Features of the union. In a relationship, don’t expect surprises, expensive gifts, or mind-blowing experiences. “Serotoninist” will surround you with care and attention. In love, they are faithful, reliable partners, good family men, aimed at a long and happy life and raising children. All areas of their life are structured.

Harmonious Union“The Builder” creates with the same “serotonist” according to the scenario “Business Project” or “Garden of Eden”. Relationships in a couple are strong, reliable, calm. Among the strong couples studied by Fisher, such marriages accounted for 14%. Representatives of other types feel good with the “Builder”, but... boring!

Friendship. Constantly surrounded by friends, colleagues or family members.

Examples. A family man, a good person, a caring father, an attentive son, an adherent of a healthy lifestyle - a classic representative of this type: George Washington, Colin Powell, Tiger Woods, Jennifer Aniston, Queen Elizabeth.

Director.

A high level of testosterone makes this type of person decisive, demanding and categorical.

Character traits:

“+” ambitious, courageous and demanding of himself and others, makes decisions quickly, is inclined to give orders, has strategic thinking. Increased attention to detail, iron will and self-discipline, increased concentration, and a high level of spatial and mathematical abilities allow them to achieve significant success. They understand schemes, rules well, and are versed in computers, mathematics, and finance. They love to win sports victories. Their interests are few, but in their chosen field they successfully dig deep.

“-” Categoricality, uncompromisingness, dominance, rigidity, skepticism, pragmatism, selfishness, arrogance, careerism, detachment, tendency to outbursts of anger, selfishness, control and dictatorship.

Life credo: “Victory at any cost”

Features of the union. They live by the laws of logic, and not by the call of their hearts. Such people make either good “heads of the family” or tyrants. They love to argue, compete and prove that they are right. They are capable of being in a state of confrontation for a long time and almost always benefit from the conflict. It is very important for people of this type to learn to relax, because the hormone testosterone creates tension.

If you are in a relationship with a person of this type, keep in mind: if you want to be heard, try to make your actions and words as logical, clear and precise as possible.

Harmonious Union“Testosterone” creates with “Estrogen” with a number of reservations. Among the couples Helen Fisher surveyed, half of the stable unions were “Director” with “Diplomat.” “This is not surprising, because in essence these are opposite types,” comments Helen. “And many of us choose as our companions a person who has qualities that we ourselves lack.”
In an alliance between “Director” and “Director” there will be an eternal struggle for power and competition...

Friendship with the right people.

Examples Albert Einstein, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Margaret Thatcher, Steve Jobs.

Diplomat.

The predominance of estrogen and oxytacin gives a person diplomatic abilities.

Character traits:

“+” Creative people grasp information literally “on the fly.” They are excellent at establishing social connections and are fluent in foreign languages ​​and other linguistic skills. They feel other people subtly thanks to their ability to empathize and developed intuition. They understand what other people are thinking and feeling, skillfully reading facial expressions, postures, gestures and tone of voice.
Ability to educate and learn, fluent speech, developed intelligence, diverse interests. They will always come to the rescue.
Contextual thinking, imagination and intellectual flexibility. Holistic, empathic, emotional.

“-” defenseless, indecisive, hypersensitive, trusting. They feel comfortable in ambiguous situations and are able to stay in them for a long time. They do not forgive insults.

Life credo: “Relationships are more important”

Features of the union. In a relationship, you will be surrounded by attention, tenderness and care. “Diplomats” remain flexible and make informed decisions. “Estrogenists” in any union easily forget about themselves and are ready to compromise. For them, relationships are always more important than their own interests.

Harmonious Union. According to Fisher's observations, “Diplomats” get along best either with their own kind or with “Directors”.
The “Director” - “Diplomat” union will develop harmoniously if the Director in it is a man. Paired with “Director,” “Diplomat” is constantly inferior, right up to the development of the “Victim” scenario.
If in a couple the “Director” is a woman and the “Diplomat” is a man, it is more difficult to maintain the relationship. In society, such a couple is perceived as a “strong” woman and a henpecked husband. If the “Diplomat” husband earns more than the “Director” wife, then there is a chance to save the marriage. If a woman provides for a family, it is important for her to find what makes her husband worthy of respect and admiration. For example, he received a doctorate, built a house with his own hands, paints beautiful paintings, and drives a car masterfully.
The union of two “Diplomats” is filled with tenderness and care for each other. The problem may be the indecisiveness of both spouses.

In friendship surrounded by an incredible circle of acquaintances, friends, colleagues, etc.

Examples. Anyone who loves spiritual communication, seeks kinship of souls and loves to chat: Bill Clinton, Gandhi, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, Carrie Bradshaw.



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