"It's" in the genes

[Brad]

Now we've heard this expression many times, but just what does it encompass? How far does it go? How deep do our genes affect our actions? Are they just for passing on looks and traits? Or do they pass on other things as well? I have heard people use this as an excuse for murder. That has to be false... but what are your thoughts?

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Silence Fills the Nothingness......NERRRR!

Even though stuff happens that we don't plan, be a man... use you hand.

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[dreadhead7]

Hmmm. The old nature vs nurture theory. I think that while genes are important, one's environment plays a critical part in one's personality make-up and intellectual abilities.
I think that genes serve as the basis for human traits in most cases, then, environment and experience combine to shape the person into what type of individual they will be.

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"Shake the world beneath your feet up"
--Johnny Clegg

 

[Cunobelin Of Hippo]

Hippo takes an unromantic stance: "We're all just a big chemical reaction anyway." (the potassium told me to burn things!)

 

[GenghisK]

Yeah, I'm sorry but my genes don't allow my IQ to go below 8472... And hipos' IQ can't even reach 69. That's genetically proved. Sorry it's not my fault if I'm too intelligent. And too modest too. It's not my fault if only my intelligence can match my modesty.

 

[Leowind]

Brad, what a huge topic

Here's to seeing if we can stay on topic (already dangerously close to wandering off thanks to the great unwashed Hippo and his Mongolian antagonist <IMG SRC="http://forums.civfanatics.com/ubb/wink.gif" border=0> j/k guys).

Personally, I think it's evident from the science that genes affect more than just physical charateristics, but establish basic character traits as well. Just as obviously environment can affect and mold these characteristics. How far is an interesting question, one which probably cannot be answered except case by case. How do you quantify the change in a personality?
Beyond all this, I believe in free will, and we can make choices that affect our environment which can affect our personality. We can even make choices about what kind of person we are going to be, thus affecting our personality directly. Of course, the informations/perceptions we use in making a judgement are affected by our genes/environment, so its all a big, complicated mess that will probably never be completely sorted out.

EDIT: fixed smilies-wish they were consistent with : or !

[This message has been edited by Leowind (edited July 30, 2001).]

 

[thedirk]

I don't think this question can every be fully answered. So much of our environment is unmeasurable, and you can't seperate people from either their genetics or environment in order to do a controled study of separate groups. As a result it will always come down to speculation and best guesses.

 

[FearlessLeader2]

Leowind --Personally, I think it's evident from the science that genes affect more than just physical charateristics, but establish basic character traits as well.

Do you have any sources to back this statement up with? I would find a genetic research paper on the common gentic make-up's of people with a common character trait to be fascinating reading, but I sincerely doubt that any such study exists.

Humans have the longest develpmental period of any living thing on the earth. Whatever traits we may be 'born with' have to survive, on average, seventeen years of social programming. Only in this late age have parents stopped parenting, and you may begin to see such gentic trends manifest, but there is simply no way that there are sufficient data to find such a correlation as yet. To claim otherwise is premature speculation at best.

[This message has been edited by FearlessLeader2 (edited September 09, 2001).]

 

[Juize]

Thats really simple:
Everything is in the genes, except those things which are result of our...
Hmm, how do u express it... Well lets say
'education'
(Thats not even near but closest term I can remember

)

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[Kefka]

Originally posted by Juize:
Thats really simple:
Everything is in the genes, except those things which are result of our...
Hmm, how do u express it... Well lets say
'education'
(Thats not even near but closest term I can remember <IMG SRC="http://forums.civfanatics.com/ubb/frown.gif" border=0>)

How about life experience.
(still not even close

)

I tend to belive that genes shapes your personallity to an extent but enviroment is the biggest factor I think.

on average, seventeen years of social programming.

I don't belive that social programming ever ends untill you die a 98 year old man can still learn something.

Personally I find MY personality almost changes daily or even hourly depending on who I am with,
ex:In my first period I am quiet and study as little as I NEED to.
In my second period I am quieter and study harder and become almost shy.
but in my third period I am basicly the class clown I speak loudly I Interupt and poke fun at everyone

during lunch I become more Isolated and begain to hate the humman race in general I tend to eat my food and sho people away
then in fourth period I become very social and seek human Interaction talk and Intergect myself into many conversations
My point is that I change depending on who I am with and were I am, and over time those experiences stay with me and shape my mood which can become a big part of my personallity, like my old teachers saying "If you surround your self with S**T your bound to get some on you.




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<IMG SRC="http://www.grworld.com/vanillacubesgames/files/kefka.gif" border=0>"Why Create things when you know they must be destroyed!"
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good smilies at http://www.plauder-smilies.de/

 

[Lefty Scaevola]

The psychologists, particularly the Skinnerians, are constantly embarrassed by the result of studies (such a twin's studies) of the nature vs nurture question. First they get floored by genetics being 59% or more of personality, and then humiliated by finding that the environmentally factors they propounded to be most important (socio/economic class) were almost irrelevant. The most important nurture factor is niche carving, being different than other persons, particularly siblings, in the same household. Twins raised apart in adopted families have near identical personalities, more alike than twins raised together.

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[goodbye_mr_bond]

Originally posted by Lefty Scaevola:<br /><strong>The most important nurture factor is niche carving, being different than other persons, particularly siblings, in the same household.</strong><hr></blockquote>

This is an interesting point. We define ourselves by mutual opposition to others. I assume that defining oneself according to some kind of a role-model either in the family or without would be a factor too? In other words, instead of only negative differentiation ("I am what he is not"), there must be some level of positive association too, right?

It's hard to only define oneself in terms of what one is not, isn't it?

 

[floppa21]

Anyone hear about the doc who artificially inseminated a bunch of women? (Instead of using the father's sperm, he used his own) Apparently, a WHOLE BUNCH of these kids are musically talented. Genetics?

How about a mental disease? Genetics?

Okay, now I am a nice fairly quiet guy, more of a thinker and listener. At least in person... Is that Genetics? The fact that I dislike most people in general, and genuinely LIKE few people, is that Genetics?

Any and all of the above can be answered either way. I would have to say it is a mix.

 

[TheDuckOfFlanders]

Interresting topic.<br />Humankind is on the breach of a new eara with genetics.With the interrese genetic research gets nowadays, it's not hard to immagine that our genetic pool will be very much changed within now and 100 years.I can't think how moch ethict's or morals will be put aside for comercial gain's,though i realize those gain's are important today (especialy in that sector).<br />But i fear the social changes that will follow on it.Where maybe some special treatements will only be preserved for important (or powerfull ,or rich)people.How it maybe eventualy will affect our future class-systems.<br />Genetics is a powerfull science ,from imortality to superhumans, there are a lot of things than can be messed with.And we humans tend to make a mess with a lot of things.

My grand children will have i.Q.'s of 12.000 and heads like boilers.