Hooked

Chapter 3

Primal

EXERCISE

Uncontrollable urges

Can you think of a time in your own personal life when you were ­seemingly unable to resist your baser urges – and perhaps acted ­differently to how you might ‘normally’ act? How would you have acted ­differently in hindsight? And what was it that caused you to act this way originally?

I’m going to tell you a personal story – please try not to judge me. In my early twenties, I was in a ‘hair metal’ band (think Mötley Crüe). I was sure I was going to be famous – why wouldn’t people go crazy for 80s glam rock in 2008? As such, and being a young psychology undergraduate, I spent my time trying to understand the psychology behind successful bands.

The first lesson I learned was that successful bands ...