Have you ever wondered why some people seem to bounce off the walls while others move through life at a more measured pace? Perhaps you know someone who can’t sit still, whose mind races from one idea to another, or who thrives in high-stimulation environments that would exhaust others. Scientists are discovering that what we sometimes call “wild energy” isn’t just a personality quirk or poor parenting. It’s actually wired into our DNA from birth.
Research is uncovering fascinating connections between our genetic makeup and the intensity of our energy levels. From hyperactivity linked to ADHD to the heightened sensitivity that makes some people more responsive to their surroundings, our genes play a crucial role in determining how much energy we have and how we express it. Let’s explore the remarkable science behind why some humans are simply born to be more energetic than others.
The Genetic Foundation of High Energy
ADHD’s high heritability of 74% tells us that energy levels are largely predetermined by our genes. ADHD is genetic. This means your child is born with certain gene changes that cause differences in their brain development (neurodivergence). The implications are staggering when you consider that roughly three-quarters of hyperactive and impulsive behaviors can be traced back to genetic factors.
Accumulating evidence from family, twin, and molecular genetic studies suggests that the disorder we know as ADHD is the extreme of a dimensional trait in the population. This means that high energy exists on a spectrum, with some people naturally positioned at the more intense end. What’s particularly fascinating is that scientists found that children with siblings who have ADHD are five to eight times more likely to have ADHD than those with non-ADHD siblings. Other research suggests that around 40% of parents with ADHD have children who also meet the criteria for an ADHD diagnosis.
Brain Chemistry and the Energy Connection
The secret to understanding wild energy lies in examining specific brain chemicals. The higher the level of dopamine, or the more responsive the brain is to dopamine, the more likely a person is to be sensitive to incentives and rewards. This neurotransmitter acts like fuel for motivation and excitement.
When our dopamine system is activated, we are more positive, excited and eager to go after goals or rewards, such as food, sex, money, education or professional achievements. They trigger massive release of neuromodulators, including both dopamine, to drive exploration, and noradrenaline (also called “norepinephrine”), to drive aversion and to constrain exploration. This chemical dance in the brain creates the foundation for what we perceive as high energy or restlessness.
With ADHD, the frontal lobe of your child’s brain is wired in a way that makes it harder for them to use directed attention. Directed attention is the ability to focus on something you don’t find very interesting. This wiring difference explains why some people seem to have boundless energy when pursuing interesting activities.
The Dopamine System’s Role in Personality
Dopamine, a broadly acting neurotransmitter, is one of the most studied and theorized biological entities in personality neuroscience. Dopamine acts as a neuromodulator; relatively small groups of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain extend axons through much of the frontal cortex, medial temporal lobe, and basal ganglia, where dopamine release influences the function of local neuronal populations.
Research reveals that there is now overwhelming evidence that 40 to 60 percent of individual variation in personality trait scores, for example, is related to genetic influence. Dopamine is one of the main neurotransmitters within the behavioural approach system, with multiple correlational and experimental methods showing the relevance of dopamine for extraversion and neuroticism-type behavioural traits. Furthermore, variants of dopamine genes have been associated with variation in personality traits in both clinical and general populations, although the direction and stability of these associations is less clear.
There is no doubt that dopamine can make people feel good; drugs that increase dopaminergic function, like cocaine or amphetamine, are abused in part because they produce feelings of excitement, elation, and euphoria. In neuroimaging studies, degree of self-reported elation in response to cocaine was associated with dopaminergic response and levels of neural activity in the striatum.
Highly Sensitive People and Genetic Responsiveness
Some individuals are born with what scientists call “environmental sensitivity.” In fact, according to Dr. Michael Pluess, a developmental psychologist at Queen Mary University of London, your genes account for 47 percent of how sensitive you are – nearly half. That means that if you’re highly sensitive, you likely were born that way – and there are some specific genes that might explain why.
This model accounted for 15% of the variance of HSP (p<0.001). Dividing these loci by the subsystems of dopamine synthesis, degradation/transport, receptor and modulation, we found that the modulation and receptor subsystems made the most significant contribution to HSP. The results of this study demonstrate the utility of a multi-step neuronal system-level approach in assessing genetic contributions to individual differences in human behavior.
With high sensitivity, there are at least three separate sets of genes that play a role – and different highly sensitive people may have some or all of them. Interestingly, every single one of these genes affects your brain or nervous system. This genetic foundation creates individuals who experience the world more intensely than others.
The Serotonin Connection to Wild Energy
Highly sensitive people have a special variation of the serotonin transporter gene that behaves a little differently. If you have this gene variant, you have lower serotonin levels, and chances are good you’ll be a highly sensitive person. This particular gene variation doesn’t just affect sensitivity; it influences how much energy someone experiences in different situations.
In fact, it doesn’t cause any mood disorder at all on its own, but it does make you sensitive to your surroundings – and more likely to learn lessons from them. That matters a lot in childhood development. If you combine this gene with an unhealthy childhood environment, research finds, you have a higher risk of depression and other disorders throughout life. But combine it with a safe, supportive environment, and you get better-than-normal outcomes as an adult.
For example, genetic studies provide evidence that higher levels of SPS are linked to the serotonin transporter 5-HTTLPR short/short genotype, polymorphisms in dopamine neurotransmitter genes, and the ADRA2b norepinephrine-related gene variant.
Norepinephrine and Emotional Intensity
This gene, which I’ll call the “emotional vividness” gene, is related to norepinephrine. Norepinephrine is a neurotransmitter that also helps with the body’s stress response. And there’s one variant – which may be common in HSPs – that turns up the dial on emotional vividness.
This chemical system explains why some people seem to experience everything more intensely. Candidate genes include those that regulate neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and amines, which play important roles in mood regulation, suicidality, aggression, impulsivity, lack of empathy, and other important sub-domains of the symptomatology of personality disorders. The norepinephrine system particularly influences how someone responds to stress and excitement.
People with certain variations in these genes might find themselves constantly “switched on,” responding more dramatically to both positive and negative experiences. Their nervous systems are essentially calibrated to experience life at a higher volume than others.
Early Development and Wild Energy Expression
Amongst 858 members of a large longitudinal birth cohort, we found that high sensitivity in adulthood (28-29 years old) is common in individuals that had short gestational periods (< 38 weeks), and/or are born following stressful pregnancies. This suggests that even prenatal conditions can influence how energetic someone becomes.
Currently, theory suggests that sensitivity is heightened in two specific contexts: either when pregnancy and childhood are stressful (as our study points to), or in cases when pregnancy and childhood are consistently stress-free and supportive (a rarer scenario, given the many pressures of the modern world). In both scenarios, it benefits children to be highly sensitive, whether it’s to help them remain hypervigilant and hyperaware in stressful situations, or to help them soak in the benefits of a perfectly supportive environment.
Children born prematurely or with a low birth weight may be at a higher risk of ADHD. This may be due to a lack of nutrients and oxygen during pregnancy, restricting the fetus’ growth and development. Premature births may also be associated with changes in specific hormone levels and increased inflammation. This might contribute to the impaired maturation of the brain, behavioral problems, and the development of ADHD.
The Evolutionary Advantage of Wild Energy
The simulations showed that individuals who took the time to notice all of the environmental cues before making a decision generally came out ahead – even with the high cost of doing so (what we call overstimulation). Their sensitivity allowed them to make better and better decisions over time. But there was a catch: being sensitive was only a benefit if it was in the minority. If everyone is sensitive, we all notice the same details and it no longer gives anyone a special advantage. That’s probably why HSPs are about 20 percent of the population and not, say, 80 percent.
We found that 47% of the differences in peoples’ sensitivity are indeed explained by genetic factors. But the remaining 53% of a person’s level of sensitivity is shaped by life experiences. In other words, genetics accounts for just under half of the reason you may be a more sensitive person. This balance between genetics and environment suggests that wild energy serves an important evolutionary purpose.
If dopamine served a particular function in a phylogenetically early organism, then it would be easier for evolution to co-opt the dopaminergic system to perform additional functions if they were not incompatible with the first function, and easier still if the new functions were influenced by some broad selective pressure that also influenced the older function, which is to say, if they shared some more general function. This is because any factor that affects synthesis of dopamine, whether genetic, metabolic, or dietary/digestive, is likely to influence all aspects of dopaminergic function, no matter how diverse, as it will tend to increase or decrease available dopamine in all branches of the system.
Conclusion
The science is clear: wild energy isn’t a character flaw or something that needs to be fixed. It’s a genetically influenced trait that has been shaped by millions of years of evolution. From the dopamine systems that drive exploration and reward-seeking to the serotonin pathways that influence sensitivity, our genes create a unique neurochemical fingerprint that determines how much energy we experience and express.
Understanding this genetic foundation can be incredibly liberating for those who’ve always felt “too much” or different from others. Whether you’re dealing with ADHD, high sensitivity, or simply a naturally energetic temperament, recognizing that these traits are hardwired can help shift the conversation from fixing problems to maximizing strengths. What do you think about the role genetics plays in your own energy levels? Have you noticed patterns that might trace back to your family tree?
