The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality

by Amanda Montell

With cosmic irony, research on superiority complexes has found that people with depression assess their talents more objectively than others, a symptom termed “depressive realism.” A 2013 paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences noted that people with weak connectivity between their brain’s frontal lobe (responsible for our sense of self) and striatum (part of the reward system) overall thought more highly of themselves than those with stronger connections between the two areas. Dopamine neurotransmitters located in the striatum inhibit connectivity to the frontal lobe, like rocks in a dam, so the more dopamine you have, the less connectivity between the two regions, and the more blissfully flattering your self-perception will be. Conversely, depleted dopamine = more depression = more realistic self-evaluation. But the former is what’s described as “normal.” Worshiping at our own altars without question is considered the “mentally healthy” state.