Aniketh Kajjam's Key Ideas from The Molecule of More
by Daniel Z. Lieberman, Michael E. Long

Generally people who choose to emigrate are very high risk takers as they are willing to give up essentially everything, family, friends, career, and community.

The dopamine levels in immigrants are generally higher compared to nonimmigrants, as they experience stress, their brains release dopamine in the striatum (region in the brain associated with various functions, including reward processing).

This high risk taking behavior increases the likelihood of developing bipolar disorder in the entire population.

Take a guess as to what is the final outcome when you put so many high risk takers in one economy…

yep, the answer is technological advancements.

These collective high risk takers in a nation are one of the reasons for exponential growth in technology in most developed countries, driving the economy to be richer and wealthier and this in economics is known as “migration lead growth”.

With such high risk taking and novelty seeking behavior, it almost makes them non committal.

As they are so risk loving, they are always looking for change, they can’t commit to one single thing for a long time, this further extends into their relationships and career.

A classic example of United States vs Japan in the book, “The Molecule of More”, which states the bipolar disorder percentage in the population.

United States with a significant immigrant population has an approximate 4.4% of bipolar disorder in its population, whereas Japan with minimal immigration has bipolar disorder under 1%

If your answer to this question is yes, just like me, then remember these statistics and data should be used to give you a good perspective of the world and not an indication into your own life.

You’ve no idea how overwhelming it was for me while researching this data.

I spent hours looking up for prevention of bipolar disorder and was mainly unsuccessful. There is no absolute prevention of bipolar disorder or certain risk taking behavior.

Genetics are a predominant reason for bipolar disorder and certain risk taking behaviors in individuals.

While there is no absolute prevention, there are some precautions.

Exercising, eating a balanced diet, getting a good night’s sleep, and keeping a consistent schedule may seem like common sense, but they are backed up by a wealth of research and evidence.

It’s important to note that not all risk-takers develop bipolar disorder, and not all immigrants fit this mould. Risk-taking is not a trait exclusive to immigrants, nor is it a guarantee for success.