PERSONALITY AS CHEMISTRY
“mood is chemistry. check: sleep, food, water, hormones, pain.”
The Lesson
We think personality is fixed, but moment-to-moment expression is chemistry. Checklist when someone (including you) is being difficult: (1) Sleep. Tired people are irritable. (2) Hunger. Low blood sugar creates anger. (3) Hormones. Testosterone, PMS, oxytocin (lack of touch). (4) Hydration. Dehydration causes brain fog. (5) Pain. Current or chronic. (6) Substances. Caffeine, alcohol, medications. Most 'personality conflicts' are chemistry problems. This won't cure mental illness, but it explains most mood states. Before reacting to someone's behavior, ask: what are they missing on this checklist?
Real-World Example
A founder's co-founder becomes hostile in afternoon meetings. Personality clash? Check the list: co-founder skips lunch (hunger), drinks coffee all day (caffeine crash), sleeps poorly (stress). They institute a rule: no hard conversations before eating. Same co-founder, different chemistry, no more conflict.
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