So in Gen Psych class, we have been reading about the effect of the brain and genetics on a person’s character. Some psychological disorders we know are genetic, such as bipolar disorder and Schizophrenia. Movies like GATTACA have raised the question of how much of “who you are” is controlled by your genetics. I really cannot come up with a good answer for that question. My mom works as a psych nurse, so we have had many conversations about how her patients struggle with defining themselves other than as a person with depression or bipolar or whatever. But then again, I want to say that my personality is my own choice and not a result of DNA.
Do you have any thoughts on the subject? What makes us who we are? And to go along with that post about heaven, who will we be in heaven?
posted by Ruth at 10:06 AM
5 Comments:
This is such an interesting topic, it's almost as if we'd like to think that we're who we are by choice, but in some ways, we are determined by our genes. I find myself at times doing the little quirks my mom might do (body motions, or rxn's to something) and I stop and am amazed, especially since I haven't been living with my parents for over 3 years! Sure, it could just be her influence on me as I was growing up, but I never realized it 'til recently. Is it the genes? Or environment?
Also, when I think about heaven and our personalities there, I think we will have the good traits of our personalities. You know? The essence of our personalities that our good. At least, it is my hope we retain some of what was our earthly, fallen identity. However, if we don't, I trust God it will be for the better. Heaven's going to be perfect, so whatever my personality might be, it'll be perfect. And if everything is perfect, I won't miss (feel sorrow for) my lost identity, will I?
I'll stop now.
typo: personalities that *are* good
This idea you are purposing has to do with the nurture vs. nature argument. This argument questions how much of “who we are” is from genetics and how much is from the experiences/environment. I believe most of who we become is from our experiences. Sure we may have same facial features as our parents and other relatives even some of the same habits, but we have different experiences. This is how we are set apart from our parents and others around us. Depending on the experiences we have will determine our reactions in certain situations, our thoughts, beliefs, and much more.
The environment we grow up in plays a large role in this as well. If you grew up in a neighborhood that was “rough” you may also become the same way, because growing up you had to decide if you would embrace that “roughness” and be offensive type of person or reject it and be a defensive type of person. Now take that verses someone who lived in a “harmonious” atmosphere and you get more of carefree kid who doesn’t have to questions everyone one’s actions all the time.
Where does genetics play in this? You will have some traits from your parents but you won’t respond the same way as your parents. Genetics just makes up our outer “shell” (if you will) while experience and the environments make up the rest of you. This is only my opinion.
I agree that genetics makes up mostly our looks and body structure and whatever other physical aspects there are. However, I think it plays a prominent role in our personalities, too. A teacher of mine taught once that the first-born child usually ends up more like the father (in personality traits), the second, like the mother, and the third is a more random mix and therefore sometimes doesn't seem like either one. But then, if there's a ten year (approximate) gap between children, the cycle starts over. So even if the child is the third or fourth or whatever, if he/she was born about ten years after the last child, it's like he/she is the first child again. Only in this regard, of course.
Anyway, if that proves true (as it definitely does for my family, and many others that I've examined, although of course not all, there are exceptions) then it has to more than experiences that make up who we are. If it wasn't, then the experiences could make the 7th child exactly like the dad, or all of the children like the mom. Also, how would you explain children that grow up with just their moms because their dad left, but then they find the dad later in life and discover they're very similar? Or twins separated at birth who share strange things like food preferences and certain habits? I'm sure experience has a lot to do with how we become who we become, but I also think that genetics has a lot to do with it.
As a person who is easily identified by anyone who ever knew my father for any period of time, I see my genes controlling decisions I make, activities I enjoy, what I look like, and tiny quirky things such as the jokes I like to tell and hear. Still, my dad was a pivotal part of my environment as well, so half of these behaviors could be learned as well.. My mother has said that when one of us is walking across the farmyard with our hoods up she can't tell which one it is. People on the phone can't either. Even so, I play guitar rather fluently and taught myself, whereas my dad couldn't learn piano to save his life, but he may have been a carrier (my grandmother is the type of pianist that can play hymns in any key you like without music).
One more example.. my eldest sister's oldest son is 7 and has developed quite an attitude (e.g. a 20 minute argument about a toy in a store that he was not receiving) to which my sister calls home and asks my mother what to do. Mom calmly says that instead of talking to him, carry the little turd of the store and take him home. Mom later reflected that my sister acted very much the same as a child and doesn't even realize that she has merely passed this trait on. :) Thus, I still believe that we may think we have escaped the scope of being like our parents, but generally if examined (possibly from other people) it is clear that genetics play a major role in shaping our whole selves.
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