This is such a powerful and eye-opening reflection on the inner battles we all face. The imagery of the six wolves makes it so clear how our own hormones can shape our thoughts, emotions, and actions. I love how it balances awareness with hope—reminding us that with knowledge, discipline, and faith, these wolves can become our guardians instead of our enemies. Thank you for sharing this profound reminder to look within and take responsibility for our inner world.
Dawn, this was fantastic. Explaining the biology and neuropathology of the human chemicals was a briallant idea. They can all pull the sled in unity or fight over who gets to lead. Learning to get them to work as a team; now that is the gift of nature. Through the woods to the goal. I loved where you wrote: "The human body is a forested battlefield, where every breath feels like war and every step a hunt." I can see the wolves and feel the forest. Very accurate too, especially in these current times of constant changes and insecurities in so many markets. WEll written as always!
Very very interesting, this made me think. And I came to the conclusion I don’t fit in any. If I had a Wolf would be the Wolf of the Rift.
This wolf is born where the world has cracked open and nobody wanted to look. It does not haunt forests of easy beauty; it walks the broken edges of existence, abandoned quarries, ruined chapels, borders between night and dawn, places where the earth has split and still breathes.
Its fur is almost blck, yet when moonlight touches it, veins of silver appear like fractures of ancient glass. Its eyes are neither savage nor gentle; they are relentless, lucid, unflinching. To meet its gaze is to feel that nothing can be lied about anymore.
The Wolf ofthe Rift often walks alone, not out of loneliness but out of intolerance for shallowness. Small talk irritates it. False kindness makes it bare its teeth. Pretty lies make the ground tremble beneath its paws.
It does not hunt prey.
It hunts fractures in reality.
It follows the scent of what has been buried, silenced, or denied. It moves toward places where beauty was crushed but still survives, where pain was hidden but still burns. When it arrives, it does not console;it reveals.
My wolf gave me 3 dangerous gifts:
Piercing vision: I sense falsity instantly, even when the crowd applauds it.
Inner courage: I do not flee darkness; I walk straight through it and return carrying fire.
Transfiguration: i turn wound into form, anguish into art, and silence into songs.
It is a costly wolf to carry. It isolates. It exhausts. It scars.
But it also makes me untamable and unanaesthetizable.
If it had a symbol, it would be simple and brutal: a cracked mirror with wolf tracks crossing straight through it.
Its unspoken creed is this:
“I do not adapt to the world.
I split it open so what is real can breathe.” Thanks to you, I found one of my archetypes.
Absolutely, Sarah, I was genuinely pleased to read your response. I fully acknowledge that you do not confine yourself to any single category, and perhaps that, in itself, is your truth.
However, from your words, I strongly sensed that even while standing outside the forest of these six wolves, you are not ignoring them... rather, you are quietly striving to understand and embrace them.
I believe that a human being cannot remain in complete detachment forever; eventually, we are compelled to recognize, accept, and carry at least one of these forces within ourselves.
Your response is so beautifully articulated and intellectually rich that it has prompted me to revisit and edit my article. In fact, your perspective has made me reflect deeply on the idea that my article feels more complete when aligned with your point. Brilliant.
I do embrace them, recognize them and find space for them. 🩶 Yes we carry one or more of these forces, in some, they can be real tapestry of being. The article itself is great. Sociologically coherent and wonderful in metaphor.
What really stands out for me here Dawnithinc is the wolf metaphor itself.
It's great.
It’s a strong, accessible way to hold something that could easily become abstract or clinical. Framing hormones as wolves gives the inner life shape, tension, and consequence, and your breakdown keeps that image coherent all the way through rather than letting it drift into gimmick.
It feels like it descibes single system under pressure, which makes the message land with clarity and weight.
Great writing and insights, as always dear friend.
Thank you, Mark, for your feedback. I truly appreciate how clearly you captured the intention behind the wolf metaphor. I wanted it to remain more than a stylistic device...a way to give form, tension, and consequence to inner forces that are often discussed in abstract or purely clinical terms.
Your observation about it feeling like a single system under pressure really touched me. That coherence was important...not six disconnected ideas, but one inner ecology where imbalance in one place affects the whole. I’m glad that came through with clarity and weight. Thank you once again.
Dawn excellent metaphor! It never fails to amaze me how magnificent the human body is, and how easily it can be broken, or thrown out of alignment. I’d say my wolf is cortisol.
Thank you, Dorie, I completely agree...the human body is truly magnificent and delicate at the same time. Cortisol is a powerful wolf to have; recognizing it is the first step to understanding and balancing it. I appreciate you sharing your perspective!
The metaphor with the wolves is brilliant! It grabs your attention right from the start—and rightly so. This is an essay that needs to be read. The wolf I’m most familiar with is cortisol—it’s so friendly that I’m constantly trying to calm it down :)) I really enjoyed what you wrote.
Now, I would have paid more attention in biology class if the teacher had talked to us about wolves. This is such a good way to explain these things, and your definition of each one is really interesting.
Thank you, Jessie, for taking the time to read this piece. In my view, this is better understood in psychological terms rather than purely biological ones. Calling these hormones a “wolf” is quite fitting, because when they are balanced, they support healthy connections... but when they are not, they can turn a person into a wolf, driven by impulse, emotional hunger, and a loss of judgment.
The hypothalamus releases oxytocin into the blood, shaping feelings of bonding, trust, and attachment. In balance, it is a gentle force, building closeness, empathy, and emotional safety. But unchecked, it can become a subtle wolf, leading to unhealthy attachment, misplaced trust, and dependence. Hugs, eye contact, kindness, and sincere care feed this wolf with light, while wisdom and self-respect keep it in check. Love flourishes with patience, discernment, and faith. Remember God, set boundaries, and understand character to protect the heart. When guided wisely, this wolf of love nurtures warmth, loyalty, and emotional resilience, turning fragile connections into lasting trust.
Exactly. This hormone works inside the brain and guides us in how to handle different relationships. It helps us understand closeness, trust, and emotional boundaries. But when this system becomes unbalanced, it can truly turn a person into a wolf...driven by unhealthy attachment, blind trust, and emotional dependence.
This is such a powerful and eye-opening reflection on the inner battles we all face. The imagery of the six wolves makes it so clear how our own hormones can shape our thoughts, emotions, and actions. I love how it balances awareness with hope—reminding us that with knowledge, discipline, and faith, these wolves can become our guardians instead of our enemies. Thank you for sharing this profound reminder to look within and take responsibility for our inner world.
Thank you so much, Aaliya, for your feedback. Thank you.
Dawn, this was fantastic. Explaining the biology and neuropathology of the human chemicals was a briallant idea. They can all pull the sled in unity or fight over who gets to lead. Learning to get them to work as a team; now that is the gift of nature. Through the woods to the goal. I loved where you wrote: "The human body is a forested battlefield, where every breath feels like war and every step a hunt." I can see the wolves and feel the forest. Very accurate too, especially in these current times of constant changes and insecurities in so many markets. WEll written as always!
Thank you so much, Alex, for your detailed response.
Very very interesting, this made me think. And I came to the conclusion I don’t fit in any. If I had a Wolf would be the Wolf of the Rift.
This wolf is born where the world has cracked open and nobody wanted to look. It does not haunt forests of easy beauty; it walks the broken edges of existence, abandoned quarries, ruined chapels, borders between night and dawn, places where the earth has split and still breathes.
Its fur is almost blck, yet when moonlight touches it, veins of silver appear like fractures of ancient glass. Its eyes are neither savage nor gentle; they are relentless, lucid, unflinching. To meet its gaze is to feel that nothing can be lied about anymore.
The Wolf ofthe Rift often walks alone, not out of loneliness but out of intolerance for shallowness. Small talk irritates it. False kindness makes it bare its teeth. Pretty lies make the ground tremble beneath its paws.
It does not hunt prey.
It hunts fractures in reality.
It follows the scent of what has been buried, silenced, or denied. It moves toward places where beauty was crushed but still survives, where pain was hidden but still burns. When it arrives, it does not console;it reveals.
My wolf gave me 3 dangerous gifts:
Piercing vision: I sense falsity instantly, even when the crowd applauds it.
Inner courage: I do not flee darkness; I walk straight through it and return carrying fire.
Transfiguration: i turn wound into form, anguish into art, and silence into songs.
It is a costly wolf to carry. It isolates. It exhausts. It scars.
But it also makes me untamable and unanaesthetizable.
If it had a symbol, it would be simple and brutal: a cracked mirror with wolf tracks crossing straight through it.
Its unspoken creed is this:
“I do not adapt to the world.
I split it open so what is real can breathe.” Thanks to you, I found one of my archetypes.
Absolutely, Sarah, I was genuinely pleased to read your response. I fully acknowledge that you do not confine yourself to any single category, and perhaps that, in itself, is your truth.
However, from your words, I strongly sensed that even while standing outside the forest of these six wolves, you are not ignoring them... rather, you are quietly striving to understand and embrace them.
I believe that a human being cannot remain in complete detachment forever; eventually, we are compelled to recognize, accept, and carry at least one of these forces within ourselves.
Your response is so beautifully articulated and intellectually rich that it has prompted me to revisit and edit my article. In fact, your perspective has made me reflect deeply on the idea that my article feels more complete when aligned with your point. Brilliant.
I do embrace them, recognize them and find space for them. 🩶 Yes we carry one or more of these forces, in some, they can be real tapestry of being. The article itself is great. Sociologically coherent and wonderful in metaphor.
What really stands out for me here Dawnithinc is the wolf metaphor itself.
It's great.
It’s a strong, accessible way to hold something that could easily become abstract or clinical. Framing hormones as wolves gives the inner life shape, tension, and consequence, and your breakdown keeps that image coherent all the way through rather than letting it drift into gimmick.
It feels like it descibes single system under pressure, which makes the message land with clarity and weight.
Great writing and insights, as always dear friend.
Thank you, Mark, for your feedback. I truly appreciate how clearly you captured the intention behind the wolf metaphor. I wanted it to remain more than a stylistic device...a way to give form, tension, and consequence to inner forces that are often discussed in abstract or purely clinical terms.
Your observation about it feeling like a single system under pressure really touched me. That coherence was important...not six disconnected ideas, but one inner ecology where imbalance in one place affects the whole. I’m glad that came through with clarity and weight. Thank you once again.
Hmmmm.....Rick The Truth Seeker, and the manager of his six wolves.
Thank you so much, I really appreciate your kind words.
Those were kind words? Oh, I thought they were just honesty spilling out onto the pages as I lapped up a glass of water. Ha ha ha
Words are a person’s true identity, haha.
What happens if you discover more then six wolves.
I will deal them with same method that I mentioned in my piece.
Dawn excellent metaphor! It never fails to amaze me how magnificent the human body is, and how easily it can be broken, or thrown out of alignment. I’d say my wolf is cortisol.
Thank you, Dorie, I completely agree...the human body is truly magnificent and delicate at the same time. Cortisol is a powerful wolf to have; recognizing it is the first step to understanding and balancing it. I appreciate you sharing your perspective!
I love the use of the wolves. I learned quite a lot from reading that and it was so well put together. Thank you.
Thank you so much, Gary. I’m happy you enjoyed it and found it helpful. Thank you.
This is so great. Wonderful.
Thank you very much for calling it wonderful.
The metaphor with the wolves is brilliant! It grabs your attention right from the start—and rightly so. This is an essay that needs to be read. The wolf I’m most familiar with is cortisol—it’s so friendly that I’m constantly trying to calm it down :)) I really enjoyed what you wrote.
It makes me so happy that you have already worked on one of them. Thank you for reading and for a great comment.
Now, I would have paid more attention in biology class if the teacher had talked to us about wolves. This is such a good way to explain these things, and your definition of each one is really interesting.
Thank you, Jessie, for taking the time to read this piece. In my view, this is better understood in psychological terms rather than purely biological ones. Calling these hormones a “wolf” is quite fitting, because when they are balanced, they support healthy connections... but when they are not, they can turn a person into a wolf, driven by impulse, emotional hunger, and a loss of judgment.
I totally agree. And it’s when it all comes together - mind and body - like in your piece, that it gets interesting.
Thank you.
Oxytocin: The Wolf of Love
The hypothalamus releases oxytocin into the blood, shaping feelings of bonding, trust, and attachment. In balance, it is a gentle force, building closeness, empathy, and emotional safety. But unchecked, it can become a subtle wolf, leading to unhealthy attachment, misplaced trust, and dependence. Hugs, eye contact, kindness, and sincere care feed this wolf with light, while wisdom and self-respect keep it in check. Love flourishes with patience, discernment, and faith. Remember God, set boundaries, and understand character to protect the heart. When guided wisely, this wolf of love nurtures warmth, loyalty, and emotional resilience, turning fragile connections into lasting trust.
this line speaks something instresting
Exactly. This hormone works inside the brain and guides us in how to handle different relationships. It helps us understand closeness, trust, and emotional boundaries. But when this system becomes unbalanced, it can truly turn a person into a wolf...driven by unhealthy attachment, blind trust, and emotional dependence.
Thank you very much for reading the article.
Such a brilliance 🫶
Thank you, Hina.💙