Certainly, we are a social species. There are thousands of social species. Isolate certain birds from social interaction, and they'll be depressed as well. I'm not talking about real isolation, they kind they do in psychological experiments.

What is conjecture, as far as I can tell, is that we're "hardwired to function by looking for approval from others".

> it's what evidence from pretty much every bit of research on the subject shows - from psychological experiments to brainscans showing that feeling "pain" over not being treated nicely isn't a metaphor - it actually activates the same areas of the brain as things that physically hurt.

But that doesn't tell me the order of operations. Is it, a) Someone does something "not nice" (leaving aside whatever that specifically means) b) My senses take the event in c) My lizard-brain activates my pain center d) I have a bad emotional reaction

Or is it a) Someone does something "not nice" (leaving aside whatever that specifically means) b) My senses take the event in c) I have a bad emotional reaction d) My lizard-brain activates my pain center

?