<small>This piece was commissioned for the Spring 2025 Twijfel issue on Illness.</small> # A humorous take on hormones Being is being _inclined_.^[For an extended take on this, see: [[D Bias, or Falling into Place]].] The earliest inclination of any organic being is chemical. Once an organism is molecularly assembled, forked out of the woods, so to speak, an interesting dialectical process amplifies it into shape and character: sensation-action cycles filter the shower of contingencies it is confronted with, and dispose the organism in particular directions. The predisposition of appearing on the scene as a tadpole means you will inevitably shift shape and become four-legged.^[And/or end up with an eye on your ass, if your scene is Michael Levin’s lab: https://thoughtforms.life/what-if-you-had-an-eye-on-your-butt/, 2024.] The predisposition of appearing on the scene as hominid means you will eventually pass through the disconcerting experience of teenagehood. In either and all organic case(s): morphology (i.e., shape) and behavior (i.e., character) are intertwined in a dance that is tuned by the chemistry of _hormonal fluctuations_. Hormones are broadly defined as the chemical messengers that make communication between different parts of an organic body possible.^[There is no specific characteristic qualifying all hormones, hormones exhibit a wide range of peculiarities and effects: we can talk about molecules as steroids, (poly)peptides or amino acids, and we talk about cellular, intracellular and even inter-generational processes (e.g., the case of Dutch Hunger Winter-gestated babies exhibiting obesity as adults (Desai & Hales 1997, Schulz 2010, p. 16757)).] Hormones are the music tuning organisms. Extending the metaphor we can think of endocrine glands and other production sites as the instruments; organs and tissues being the players-listeners. If being is being inclined, and if organisms are the type of thing that incline themselves towards and away from things through motion first elicited by the secretion of chemicals,^[Karl Friston has recently remarked that, in terms of action, organisms have two strategies available: move or secrete something (Friston 2024). Secretion leads to motion, which means secretion comes first.] then we should pay closer attention to the locomotion of hormones as a process guiding all historicomaterial ensuings. It should come as no surprise that the etymology of the Greek _hormon_ (also, cue messenger _Hermes_) is “that which sets in motion.”^[From _horme_: “onset, impulse”, eymonline.com, accessed Dec 6 2024.] Hippocrates—of Cos, OG of Eurocentric medicine; of _Hippocratic oath_ fame—used the term _hormon_ to denote a ‘vital principle’ driving the body.^[Ibidem.] He also developed the hugely influential theory of humors which proposed that the human body contained four fluids or ‘humors,’^[Cue chemistry, etymologically, here again: “Perhaps from an old name for Egypt (_Khemia_, literally “land of black earth,” found in Plutarch), or from Greek _khymatos_ “that which is poured out,” from khein “to pour,” (etymonline.com accessed 6 Dec 2024). Etymonline also cites the OED: “Mahn ... concludes [...] that Gr. _khymeia_ was probably the original [...], which was chiefly concerned with juices or infusions of plants...” (ibid.).] each rendering characteristic qualities, stemming from an essential association with the elements (earth, air, water and fire). Later expanded upon by Galen—of early studies in anatomy fame—the humors were even more emphatically attended to for their supposed influence on temperamental style.^[Which Kant talked about, too, in his _Anthropologie in pragmatischer Hinsicht_, 1798, where he explains that, if what we’re interested in are essential charaterter traits (temperaments), then blood-composition is not sufficient for a fair analysis here, since we’re talking about interpersonal exchanges of feelings and impressions: abstractions (Section 89, _On Temperament_, p. 197). However, through a neuroendocrinological lens, today we are capable of linking the semantic, the dialogical, with the hormonal. He also makes such interesting remarks as: “There is also a question whether the temperament or the character of a person can be investigated when the person gets drunk. I do not think so. A new fluid has been mixed with the fluid which flows in his veins; the nerves are stimulated in a different manner so that the natural temperature is no longer clearly revealed, but is replaced by another.” (Section 29-155, p. 61).] The theory of humors has been discarded as a medical ‘model,’ but its influence remains an imprint in today’s medical designations, such as the—deeply problematic^[Long story short: while useful in many regards, the infamous diagnostic manual has often been shown to be a pharmaindustry piece of machinery rather than anything else. See for example: Cosgrove et al. 2006.]—DSM (_Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders_), and other typologies in psychology pertaining to temperament.^[Cue the Latin _temperamentum_, meaning: mixture; the body is a modular synthetizer in every sense of the word.] The four humors proposed by Hippocrates were, famously: **blood**: associated with a *sanguine* temperament (pardon the redundancy here) and related to heat and moisture; **yellow bile**: associated with a choleric temperament, related to heat and dryness; **phlegm**: associated with apathy and frigidity, a cold and moist humor; and **black bile**: associated with melancholy, a cold and dry humor. A well-tempered body would strike a harmonious balance between all four, and depending on the synthesis: different types of lives could be observed. If, in the end, squint-eye-synthesis heuristics are all we have, clumsy reductionisms all the way down, perhaps we can still humor the charming simplicity of the humors in the context of hormones in order to say something about _cognition-secretion-locomotion_ as a recursive continuum through which we may examine the depths of our inclinations. If we are still made of the same stuff and driven by the same forces, there might be comparisons to be drawn between the ancient temperaments and what we observe today as the feedback dialectics of neuroendocrine control.^[Despite it being a mere divertiment in this short piece, elsewhere I have argued for how specific corticosteroids drive cognition and motivation and are apt for allostatic analysis beyond the individual, and rather at a distributed, psychosocial scale (de Jager 2023).] Below, then, a humorous parallel between the temperaments proposed by Hippocrates and what can be said about them through the lens of (neuro)endocrinology. ### Blood = Cortisol The ancient view would have it that a bloody temperament was the cause of arousal, warmth and vigor, driving individuals towards energetic and passionate dispositions. This cannot be more true in the case of cortisol, an appropriate level of which primarily guarantees glucose metabolism,^[And many other effects, including genomic and nongenomic cellular/molecular mechanisms: nearly every cell of the human body has glucocorticoid receptors (Oakley 2013).] resulting in you having or not having energy: everything from waking up (arousal), temperature regulation (warmth) and vigor: cortisol represents the hormonal ability to cope with _stress_.^[Hence its bad reputation as a “stress hormone.” _Stress_ hormone because it **results from stress**, not the other way around. Adrenaline being more well-known—because it was molecularly recognized earlier in history—is related, and is also key here, but while adrenaline is the first hormonal “alarm” in fight-or-flight responses, it is always followed by a prolonged release of cortisol which is what guarantees an organism will remain capable of coping with stres (McEwen 2019, Russell & Lightman 2019).] **Blood** pressure is closely tied to cortisol (and aldosterone, primarily, another adrenal steroid), as well as memory-consolidation and recall. All these are key functions where cortisol plays one of the—if not the major—hormonal solo(s) (McEwen, Shields et al. 2017). Feeling tired, burned out or incapable is, in almost all cases, a result of low or high blood cortisol. This is why, often, ‘rest’ means we retreat; eat caloric foods (cholesterol is the precursor molecule in cortisol-production), and generally cannot _cope_: cortisol reserves need to be built up and/or our glucocorticoid receptors have been overstimulated.^[For a very brief and non-expert legible account of the effects of cortisol in a non-negative light see McEwen 2019.] ### Phlegm = Estrogen Phlegm, in its association with calmness, rationality, as well as dissociation and apathy, can be intuitively paired up with what we currently know about some aspects of emotional stability through oestrogen, which is deeply bound up with the workings of oxytocin: our famously ‘social’ neurotransmitter-hormone. Oestrogen influences emotional regulation: it relieves anxiety and modulates various aspects of social disposition through mood (Walf and Frye 2006, Thibeault et al. 2019). Both the hormone and the humor relate to emotional balance and steadiness, a phlegmatic character being conscientiousness and cautious, while higher estrogen levels have been associated with reduced anxiety-like behavior, increasing social bonding and interpersonal empathy (Choleris et al. 2012). The work of Elena Choleris—absolutely _not_ an apt name, given her research and our purposes here—has shown that estrogen facilitates social recognition, revealing how the hormone is a proven driver of _positive societal impact_. A lack of oestrogen has been linked to—and its supplementation successfully used to treat—schizophrenia (Kulkarni et al. 2015, Li et al. 2023). Gaining and losing oestrogen monthly is what a lot of us will recognize as mood swings due to the menstrual cycle. In light of hormones such as oestrogen being available pretty much over the counter, “becoming woman” might be more than just a cool thing for dude philosophers to say. They might as well be able to try it (mind you, people with testes do produce oestrogen, just in lower amounts). ### Yellow Bile = Testosterone As the humor associated with fire, yellow bile was linked to aggression, dominant ambitions, as well as a quick temper. Lo and behold, testosterone has been extensively revealed to promote dominant behaviors, competitive assertiveness and, often, status-seeking and maintenance (Archer 2005, Archer et al. 2005). In comparing humans to chimps, one of our closest genetic relatives, Archer notes that “...in humans, an overall correlation between aggression and testosterone [is to be expected] in adult males, but not necessarily a correlation between high status and testosterone, unless this high status was achieved and maintained by physical aggression.” (Archer 2005, p. 326). This can remind us of the egg-(breaking) problems signaled by Arendt in violence as a means to political ends, especially when thinking about how testosterone also decreases during paternal care tasks (ibid.). Testes might be the eggs that need to be cracked for a good omelette. What “cracking” might constitute is an endocrinopolitical question I leave to your imagination: anything from busting your balls to decoding the mysteries of our desiring-machines, both of which are aims of this short piece. Experiments in rooster-testicle removal and transplant by Arnold Adolph Berthold were, in fact, what led to the early discoveries in endocrine regulation and effects in general. Higher blood levels of testosterone correlate, in the majority of studies across many species, with increased competitive and aggressive behaviors. However, in “The Role of Testosterone in Social Interaction” (Eisenegger et al. 2011) there is also a case made for testosterone increasing fairness in social exchanges (when status is at stake), revealing the possible valence of the hormone as context-dependent: it can promote competition, but also cooperation sometimes. The ovaries produce testosterone, too, but again: in lower amounts than the testes. ### Black Bile = Serotonin/Dopamine Perhaps the most famous of the humors, black bile was thought to cause depression and melancholic contemplation--the Saturnine gloom hits strong with this one. Paired up with black bile, while not necessarily hormones, these neurotransmitters tune and are tuned by hormone feedback loops. In general, the line between hormones and neurotransmitters is hard to draw, they are usually distinguished by their speed of action and effect, rather than anything about their molecular composition.^[Neurotransmitters are fast and short-acting, hormones are slower and longer-acting.] With regard to serotonin (5-HT), for instance: cortisol increases tryptophan hydroxylase activity, the main enzyme involved in serotonin synthesis, and serotonin modulates the production of cortisol by interacting with the HPA axis^[Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal.] (Chen and Miller 2012). As for dopamine (DA): cortisol elevation initially increases dopamine release in the prefrontal cortex, but high, chronic cortisol exposure _reduces_ dopamine signaling, leading to depression on the long-term. These two black-bile molecules are linked to various mood disorders, a distemper of them leading to negative emotional bias and reduced reward sensitivity, or when well-tempered, promoting “positive,” engaged behavior and emotional stability (Cools et al. 2008, Lesch & Waider 2012). While Galen had estimated that black bile was produced in the liver (or nearby: gallbladder or spleen), the motions of serotonin are not far from the gut: 90% of all our serotonin production is estimated to happen in the intestines (Yano et al., 2015). Nominally interesting: the substantia nigra (black substance) in the brain, is so called as it because of the neuromelanin in the dopaminergic neurons that compose it (Rabey & Hefti 1990). ### Closing thoughts Someone I know once told me that the consequences of parenting intensify everything: “the good things become better, and the bad things get worse.” At the time I thought of this as the increasing of one’s ‘outward love,’ and the increased fear (of loss, tragedy, etc.) and exposure that comes with that increased love and feeling of responsibility. Now I put it into question with regard to the well-known hormonal modulations that parenthood causes, and the fact that cortisol (which increases with any stress; such as parenthood) intensifies all emotions. Some of you might be familiar with the ups and downs of oestrogen and progesterone. Some of you might have given birth. Some of you might have administered testosterone. Some of you might be diabetics. Or, for most of you, an experience we can all relate: on a daily basis you might get hungry and feel grehlin gnawing away at your inner canals; inclining you to _eat_. All these are hormonal signals and processes. I speak from a particular perspective through a window of illness, and I can tell you: a lack _or_ excess of cortisol will lead you to dwell in whatever current fears are most present, and _dwell, dwell, dwell_. In an already-happy state, excess cortisol adds a certain mania to life: a sanguine state. Conversely, a lack of cortisol—which, by the way, is also strongly connected to the workings of oestrogen—can have a relieving effect if properly timed, but it can also lead to abnormal fear and paranoia if worldly stressors are already too intense. Like I mention in another source ([[07 Phenomenology of Sick Spirit]]): this strange ability to modulate the stress response on a daily basis leaves me at the feet of the eternal existential query: who am I? Which cortisol level is “optimal”? The mirror image between the humors and the hormones reflects not only historical and etymological parallels, but has philosophical import, too. Again, in accepting that generalist taxonomical attempts are all we have—we know evolution does not draw hard lines, all organisms are stylistic _attempts_, yet: we keep asking for lines—there is something to embrace here: when feeling anything at all; remember your hormones as silent prime-movers, inevitably inclining you into cholera, sanguinity, self-pity or languidity, to name a few tempers. We can give ourselves over to a piece we cannot compose, nor truly direct, and perhaps become humbler: thereby toning our egos down. Wait—so control *is* possible? Somehow, it *appears* so. But tampering with, or tempering our hormones, is a paradoxical regulative affair. And at least in the case of anyone administering their own hormones: doors are opened in interesting directions. But the chicken-or-egg dialectics here just move the dial from one place to the other, and we can still hardly pin down a control homunculus. Interestingly, in trying to find a homuncular epicenter, Descartes is usually brought forth, with his proposal of the pineal gland as a possible seat of the soul and all thought-formation. While this is often ridiculed nowadays, we can nevertheless pay some philosophical hormonal attention to the claim: the pineal gland’s endocrine function is to release melatonin, the hormone that signals the body to start shutting down for rest. So, while not necessarily involved in the type of processing we nowadays consider cortically or neuronally interesting: it really _is_ the prime mover when it comes to putting you to sleep and sending your soul off to reorganize and return. By way of this short piece, I’d like to urge you to listen to the music of the intransparent, desiring-hormones that rule the entire landscape that is you, a meat puppet. 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