Are Your Genes Secretly Controlling Your Behavior? & How to Truly Flourish

When you meet someone for the first time, you form an opinion about them almost instantly. Before they’ve said more than a few words, you may already feel they are trustworthy—or not. How do we make those snap judgments so quickly, and what exactly are we picking up on? https://www.princeton.edu/news/2006/08/22/snap-judgments-decide-faces-character-psychologist-finds Are we really in control of our behavior, or do our genes quietly influence the choices we make? Scientists are discovering that genetics can shape traits such as impulsivity, aggression, and self-control—traits that can affect everything from everyday decisions to criminal behavior. That raises some profound questions: if biology predisposes someone toward certain actions, how should society think about responsibility and punishment? Psychologist Kathryn Paige Harden, professor at the University of Texas at Austin and author of Original Sin: On the Genetics of Vice, the Problem of Blame, and the Future of Forgiveness (https://amzn.to/3NlisF6), explores what modern genetics reveals about human behavior and what it could mean for the way we understand blame, morality, and forgiveness. Most people would love to live a li…