1) How often do I genuinely express gratitude to those in my life? 2) Do I only share what they mean to me when they do something for me, or do I express my
gratitude more often?

some attention getter quotes to support your thesis regarding brain work could be the following: :

a. storage capacity of your brain is virtually unlimited.

b. your brain produces sufficient electricity to light-up a small bulb.

c. different brain circuits are involved with reading aloud or silently.

d. your brain by itself does not feel pain.

e. reading allows your brain to download info directly.

f. brains of two musicians performing together can synchronize.

i believe it is the first choice (1.)

because the major theme is(“both the wild and civilization have rules.”)

and also as u said,( based on what buck learns within the call of the wild, "both the wild and civilization have rules".this is true of humans within society as well.