You have genes, you are not your genes.
June 24 2008 / by Peltaire
Category: Health & Medicine Year: 2008 Rating: 3
Dr. Dean Ornish says that your genes are not your fate. http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/252
If one were to ask, “Is your behavior, your health and the outcome of your life determined by your genes?” Another might say, “Yes. Your genes give you your behaviors, your overall state of health and of course, your life expectancy.”
Ever since Francis Crick and James Watson discovered the structure of the human DNA, scientists, mathematicians, theorists and biochemists have toyed greatly with implications of human genetics. All have made huge discoveries. And like all fields of science, every new discovery uncovers an abundance of new questions. Such is the science of science. One question in this particular arena is, “How much of the human state of life is determined by the genetic characteristics of that human?” By state of life, I mean experience of life, health, behaviors, defects, disease and overall life expectancy.
We have determined for certain that specific diseases are genetic and are transfered from generation to generation, a conclusion that validates repetitious disease and behavior and a consistent life expectancy. It is almost as if there is nothing we can really do in the area of health called “it’s genetic.” Maybe there is.
Let’s look at the same question and change it a bit.
“How much of the genetic characteristics of a human is determined by the state of life of that human?”
The answer: I don’t know. Maybe it’s just evolution. Yeah, evolution gives us our path. Hmm?
What I do gather is that the world of genetics is not fixed or static. Our behaviors and choices are not fixed either. What else isn’t fixed? The cause of violence or war? Is it fixed and static? Let’s just pretend that nothing is fixed a certain way, nothing is static including genetics.
If genetics is not fixed and static, then we certainly can’t draw fixed conclusions from studying it. It’s like a mechanic studying the acceleration of an engine while another mechanic is performing upgrades on the same engine.
If genes are not fixed then what is giving us this behavior, this health, this life? Are we? Or, is it evolution?
Are we the product of evolution or is evolution the product of us?
I tend to think generally, that the relationship is mutually exclusive, but I like leaning toward the idea that we are the source of it all.
Humans are amazing. We are masters of the paradox.
We are the only creatures on Earth that effectively, and repeatedly, create structures and systems that are designed to fix structures and systems that have previously been created to fix already existing structures and systems.
Get that?
