Status seeking individuals – sorry losers

Brains Hard-Wired to Hate Losing | LiveScience

Competitive types who get a buzz from climbing the social ladder also feel more pain when they plummet to a lesser rung. That’s according to new research suggesting our brains are hard-wired for hierarchy. 

Brains Hard-Wired to Hate Losing | LiveScience

Turns out, the “high” that a person feels at the top of the hierarchy can turn into a major downer at the bottom. Individuals who reported more elation while at the top also showed increased activity in the brain’s emotional-pain circuitry when they performed worse than another player, threatening their status.