Some people are more ambitious, motivated and diligent than others. But why? Well turns out that how hard we are willing to work is simply determined by the chemistry in our brains.

Recent scans carried out at Vanderbilt University of Tennessee reveal that “achievers” release more of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the striatum and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex - regions of the brain that play a very significant role in reward and motivation. On the other hand, “idlers” have high dopamine levels in a different region of the brain, the anterior insula, which is involved in emotion and risk perception.

This is extremely fascinating because it reveals that chemicals in the brain, like dopamine, can have different effects on different parts of the brain.