The Devil Made Me Chew It

My friend Todd sent me a link to an article about our behavior being influenced by evolutionary factors, such as why men are attracted to women who have certain characteristics. I also saw a t.v. program the other day which reported research that determined certain genes which cause obesity. According to this research, people have a weight range determined by certain genes, and it would be nearly impossible to maintain a weight outside of that range.

I don’t dispute the facts presented by this kind of research. It certainly seems likely that many aspects of behavior and appearance are predetermined. Or, rather, there is a predisposition to look and act a certain way. What is important is the gap between potentiality and reality.

The thing that separates us from the animals is not our ability to use tools or speak French. It’s our ability to reason. (By the way, there is also research purporting to prove that free will does not exist, but we rationalize our actions after the fact. The information I have seen about this theory lacks credibility.)

When we can determine more accurately what makes us tick, it can help a lot of people with certain problems. It will, however, cause additional trouble. I foresee a time when people seek to absolve themselves from all responsibility for their actions. We have already seen the beginning of this (i.e. temporary insanity), and it will only get worse. Well, if we’re not responsible for our actions, why does our behavior get so much worse after learning of that “fact”?

What do you think?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I had an onion tied to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now, you couldn't get white onions because of the war; all you could get...

Do you ever get stuck in a conversation that you can’t get out of? I’m not talking about those times when you have to be somewhere else or there’s a rational need to leave, but rather those times when, with every word the other person utters (it’s typically just a two-person conversation), your brain threatens to escape your body and make a break for it. All you can do is try to play some old TV theme songs in your head, or maybe design circuits if you’re the engineering type, all the while searching for an opportunity to escape. Now I’m boring myself just thinking about those situations.
Read more

Thirty Thoughts

1. Is that more hair in the shower drain every morning? 2. What's the big deal? It's just a number with a zero at the end. Why should we consider that significant? 3. Am I still allowed to wear shorts? 4. I need to buy a house within the next five years or we won't have it paid off by retirement age. Then again, my generation won't be able to retire until age 80, so I shouldn't worry. 5. I really should be eating more green, leafy vegetables. If I leave potatoes in the fridge long enough, will that count? 6. Going back to school is getting less and less likely. Then again, sending kids to school will be enough trauma. 7. At least I no longer look like I'm 12, which I did until I was about 23. 8. I will never wear my cell phone on my belt. 9. For some reason, there's a big difference between having a kid and having kid s . 10. You kids get off the lawn! 11. I wonder when my memory will start to go. 12. Inside of me beats the heart of an 18-year-old. At leas...
Read more

Moral Compass

On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 1 being “afraid to step on a blade of grass” and 10 being “I’m gonna kill everyone!”), how bad is it if I were to warm up my car in the morning for 10 minutes before coming to work?
Read more