Genes play an essential part in who we are. They can determine how we look, our health, and, if we stay with our genetic parents, what our lifestyle will be. Stories appear in the press about twins separated at birth whose lives follow the same path regardless of how they were raised. They trace their marriages when often their wives had the same names and had the same number of children. Often, they have the same career and same hobbies. Odds on automaty online are good, but our health depends more upon our genes than our attitude.
Genes and the Law
There has been a case when a murder suspect tried to have the case dropped by claiming a mutated gene was the issue. While this was rejected, more recent research shows that the so-called Warrior gene can lead to violence.
A Long or Short Life
Genetics can play a part in how long you live, but there are many other factors: where you grow up, your lifestyle, and the decade’s general improvement in healthcare and public health. Research has shown that 25% of the age difference attained can be contributed to genetics. Attitudes and lifestyle can play a much more significant part. If you eat well, don’t drink, don’t smoke, and exercise, you will often live longer than people who do the opposite.
Attitude and Health
How you feel can determine your health. Opening up can be helpful, whereas keeping everything locked in is not as good. Opening up unburdens you, whereas clamming up keeps the problem just yours. The way different people react to undergoing the same life event can bring about a different outcome.
- Forgiveness – If you can forgive someone who wronged you, you will get over the event much more quickly than if you hold a grudge. It will be physical health as well as mental health that will be improved. Tests have shown that forgiveness reduced the feeling of being hurt or let down and taking away the anger and physical pain and illness.
- Gratitude – Anyone who is happy with their life and what they have will be grateful for what they have. However, it has been discovered that being grateful for what you have will give a feeling of joy.
- Resilience – It is hard to say where this fits in. Is it genetic, or do you learn it? It could be that you are always resilient and have had the trait handed down, or early experience may make you resilient.
Sometimes we can feel that there is a conflict with our feelings. We want to be happy and overcome adversity but somehow cannot get out of the dark place. We see others getting over much worse, and it can be confusing. Why can they improve, and I cannot? Sometimes a little change in attitude will work wonders, but there are times when we must accept that we can’t control our genes.