You’ve met that guy – the daredevil who loves skydiving,
whitewater rafting and talks of climbing Mt. Everest.
Maybe you’re a bundle of energy, always trying new things –
from exotic foods to worldwide travels. Or perhaps you only dream of those things
– circumstances forcing you to seek your adventure through voracious reading
and trips to museums.
According to Helen Fisher in her book Why Him? Why Her? The
Explorer personality made up 26 percent of her test group with a slightly
higher number of males.
Driven by dopamine, a brain chemical that controls reward,
pleasure, movement and emotions, Explorers are novelty seekers and risk takers.
They are energetic, creative, generous, optimistic, autonomous, liberal, daring
and curious with a wide variety of interests.
Depending on your personality type, that may sound
exhilarating or terrifying.
If this describes the hero of your dreams, pause a moment to
consider the downside. This is the man most likely to become bored and restless
in a marriage. His impulsiveness may lead him to blowing the rent money on a
get-rich-quick scheme.
We are fearfully and wonderfully made, a complex mixture of neurotransmitters,
electrolytes and hormones, to name a few. Just as an imbalance in insulin can
cause a diabetic coma, an imbalance of dopamine can cause several problems
including, Parkinson’s disease, bipolar, schizophrenia, addiction and attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Warnings aside, is he a match?
