Everyone knows someone with a quick
temper — it might even be you. And while scientists have known for decades that
aggression is hereditary, there is another biological layer to those angry
flare-ups: self-control.
In a paper published earlier this
year in the Journal of
Cognitive Neuroscience, that people who are genetically predisposed
toward aggression try hard to control their anger, but have inefficient
functioning in brain regions that control emotions.
In other words, self-control is, in
part, biological.Genetic explanations for social
behaviour tend to be unpopular — and for good reason. The notion that some of
our interactions with fellow humans may be partially determined by our ancestry
goes against the “all people are created equal” or “fair go” ethos of
democratic societies.
Detractors of genetic causes of
social behaviour are often on the right track. Many personality characteristics
are only moderately influenced by genes. But whether we like it or not,
aggressiveness is one social behaviour that has a particularly strong genetic
basis.
No comments:
Post a Comment