The roller coaster is slowly climbing.
Click. Click. Click.
Your friend beside you already has both hands in the air.
You have both hands wrapped around the safety bar.
"What, are you scared?"
You tell them to shut up.
Then comes the drop.
Thirty seconds later, your friend is laughing.
"That was AMAZING. Again?"
You are still trying to remember how breathing works.
We're quick to explain the difference.
Your friend is brave. You're scared.
But is that really what's happening?
Because being willing to get on the ride and actually enjoying the ride aren't quite the same thing.
So why do some people love roller coasters while others hate them?
And could part of the answer actually begin with biology?
Why Does Fear Feel Fun?
"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." Helen Keller
Roller coasters create many of the sensations we associate with fear: a racing heart, heightened alertness and the uncertainty of what comes next.
For some people, that rush is part of the fun.
You might even call yourself an "adrenaline junkie."
Psychologists call this sensation seeking, a tendency to seek out intense and stimulating experiences.
A related trait is novelty seeking, which is more about being drawn to things that feel new or unfamiliar.
Think thrill versus newness. One is about the rush. The other is about trying something new.
It may have less to do with bravery than you think. Being a sensation seeker doesn't automatically make someone a risk taker, or make them braver.
If your friend loves the drop while you're terrified but get on anyway, who actually needed more courage?
So why can the same experience feel so different from one person to another?
Personality and experience are part of the answer. Researchers have also asked whether genetics plays a small role.
Is There An Adventure Gene?
There is no single gene for adventure.
Not really. But one gene helped inspire the idea.
It's called DRD4, a gene involved in the brain's dopamine system.
In the 1990s, researchers reported that certain versions of DRD4 were associated with higher novelty-seeking scores. One version, known as 7R, attracted particular attention.
Soon, it had a much catchier nickname: the "adventure gene."
There was just one problem.
Later studies didn't always find the same connection.
Some found links between DRD4 and novelty seeking. Others didn't.
So having DRD4-7R doesn't mean you'll love roller coasters, spontaneous trips or adrenaline rushes.
DRD4 may be one small piece of why novelty feels more appealing to some people.
Your personality, experiences and environment matter too.
Live Life By Design
Knowing how much you seek out sensation or novelty helps you understand what naturally draws you in. Then you can decide what to do with that knowledge.
1. Notice What Excites You
Pay attention to the kinds of experiences that naturally appeal to you. Do you enjoy intensity and unpredictability, or do you feel better when you know what to expect?
Neither is better.
Where your DNA report covers it, your Bio-Profile can add another piece by exploring genetic tendencies related to how you respond to new experiences. It's one piece of the picture, not a label.
2. Choose Your Own Challenge
Knowing your tendencies doesn't mean you have to follow them.
If you love thrills, you don't always have to chase the next one. If you prefer predictability, you can still choose to try something outside your comfort zone.
You don't need both hands in the air for it to count.
Conclusion
"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." T. S. Eliot
So why is your friend already asking to ride again while you're still recovering from the first drop?
Maybe they aren't simply braver.
The same rush can genuinely feel different from one person to another. Traits like sensation seeking and novelty seeking may be part of the reason, and genetics may contribute a small piece too.
But DRD4 doesn't decide whether you get on.
It doesn't buy the ticket.
It doesn't put your hands in the air.
And it certainly doesn't make you get back in line.
Your genes may nudge you towards the thrill. They don't make you take the ride.
Quick Answers
Why Do Some Love Coasters?
People differ in how they respond to intense stimulation, uncertainty and fear. Traits such as sensation seeking, together with personality, past experiences and biology, can influence whether the same roller coaster feels exciting or overwhelming.
Why Do Coasters Feel Good?
Roller coasters create strong physical arousal. For some people, especially those higher in sensation seeking, that intense stimulation can feel exciting rather than unpleasant.
Is Thrill Seeking Genetic?
Partly. Genetics may contribute to individual differences in sensation seeking and novelty seeking, but these are complex traits shaped by many genes, experiences and environment.
Are Thrill Seekers Braver?
Not necessarily. Enjoying an intense experience and acting despite fear are different things. Someone who dislikes roller coasters but chooses to ride one may actually be overcoming more fear.
Is DRD4 The "Adventure Gene"?
Not literally. Certain DRD4 variants, particularly 7R, have been studied in relation to novelty seeking, but findings have been mixed. There is no single gene that determines whether someone is adventurous.
Sources
- Dopamine D4 receptor (D4DR) exon III polymorphism associated with the human personality trait of Novelty Seeking (Nature Genetics, 1996)
- Population and familial association between the D4 dopamine receptor gene and measures of Novelty Seeking (Nature Genetics, 1996)
- DRD4 and novelty seeking: results of meta-analyses (American Journal of Medical Genetics, 2002)
- A meta-analysis of the association between DRD4 polymorphism and novelty seeking (Molecular Psychiatry, 2002)
- Candidate genes for novelty-seeking: a meta-analysis of association studies of DRD4 exon III and COMT Val158Met (Psychiatric Genetics, 2018)
Where your DNA report covers them, the Bio-Profile reads the traits behind how you respond to new experiences. How DRD4 and COMT shape whether you act first or think first under pressure is in Are You Born A Fighter, Or A Thinker?.
