Serotonin may affect our sense of fairness... hmmm.

Many folks I talk with believe a sense of fairness must come from either the genes or the home -- the old nature vs. nurture argument. Some argue that wherever it comes from -- we like to attribute to childhood -- humans just grow out of it.

Now Science, the the peer-reviewed journal , is reporting that "the neurotransmitter serotonin, which acts as a chemical messenger between nerve cells, plays a critical role in regulating emotions such as aggression during social decision-making," based on new research by scientists at England's University of Cambridge and UCLA: http://www.physorg.com/news132055144.html

The experimentation involved a money game which I've played at an Esalen workshop where the subjects were as to give and receive 'fair' offers for the win-win receipt, exchange, or rejection of 'insulting" offers. Interesting enough to see yourself play a game with no real cost to yourself financially but some perceived costs socially or for self-esteem -- and sometimes still be stingy!

The scientists in these games then added or subtracted 'happy' seratonin-replacement drugs to the game's baseline results and found that insecure, depressed and pissed off people are less willing to be fair - in fact, are more likely to be downright aggressive. Prozac Nation R US!

Perhaps we should just add seratonin to the drinking water like floride here. In Failed States like Darfur, Somalia, DRCongo, maybe adding it into the rice, tobacco or ganga would help.

What do you think?