Happiness Can Be Inherited

[IvyRose]

Link

The findings are an important piece of the puzzle for researchers trying to better understand depression and what makes different people happy or unhappy, Bates said.

People with positive inherited personality traits may, in effect, also have a reserve of happiness to draw on in stressful times, he said.

Interesting article. I've often wondered if certain emotions and traumas could be inherited.

[Vautrin]

From the article:

"Because identical twins share the same genes and fraternal twins do not, the researchers could identify common genes that result in certain personality traits and predispose people to happiness."

The researchers are overestimating the effects of genes, in all likelihood. After all the experiences of identical twins are (between them) more similar than those of non-identical twins. You also tend to find more identical twins with the same interests than non-identical twins. Not to mention that the non-identical twins will get a more different treatment in comparison with identical twins as a result.

Plus the age-old philosophical question of what is happiness rears its head. There is no definitive answer to that (at least not in a philosophical sense).

It is like saying Americans are more religious people than Spaniards, if on average they go more often to church.

As for inheriting trauma's that is complicated as well. For instance if someone is abused, chances are a lot higher that their children will become victims of abuse as well, in comparison with the general population. But I doubt that you will find noticeable genetic patterns if you were to look at all abusers (especially those who don't come from abusive backgrounds).

[IvyRose]

I guess I should have said 'inherited memories' to be clear.

I see what you're saying. I think there was a study on statistics, that 80% of them were wrong. Although, if 80% of statistics are wrong, does that make that statistic wrong as well?

The human will, inside of each of us, is a mystery to Science. Then there's the question of fate, religious beliefs and the list goes on and on.

I hope there is a cure for Depression some day. Although, some Doctor's believe it is up to us to defeat our individual depression.

Oy... What a battle.

[Vautrin]

Originally Posted by IvyRose

I see what you're saying. I think there was a study on statistics, that 80% of them were wrong. Although, if 80% of statistics are wrong, does that make that statistic wrong as well?

If all statistics have an equal chance of being true, then this particular statistic has a chance of 20% of being correct.

The human mind is a mystery, but I doubt statistics can uncover a single "law" (out of the hundreds) that governs human behavior.