“And I’m a conservative by my mother”: how genes affect our political views
Miscellaneous / / June 18, 2023
And where does the number of friends in his youth.
In an ideal world, people would form their political preferences without prejudice. We would study the programs of all parties and movements, weigh all the pros and cons, and join one of the directions. And they would also remain open throughout the rest of their lives, because views can change with the advent of new information for analysis.
In the real world, it's not quite like that. Many things influence our views: the society in which we grew up, upbringing, installations and so on, that is, external conditions. But what if we are inherently predisposed to one point of view or another? Scientists tend to think that it is.
The first studies on this topic were held back in the 80s. Gradually, there were more and more of them, as well as confidence that genes influence and for activity political participation, and to the views.
To come to this conclusion, scientists examined pairs of twins - identical and twins, and often the latter were of the same sex. These people grew up in the same family, under the same conditions, so that the influence of the environment did not differ much. And identical twins, that is, having no differences in
DNA, were much more likely to vote in the same way and show generally similar political preferences, in contrast to the twins. Those unanimity was demonstrated much less frequently.Why do some feel interested in new ideas, while others feel disgust
The previous conclusions may not look convincing enough. You never know why twins behave this way, it's definitely in the genes. And scientists, of course, also went further.
For example, they found out that political leanings affects dopamine receptor D2 gene. Some of its alleles are also responsible for the tendency to alcoholism, gambling and other addictions. Contribute and dopamine receptor D4, which is also associated with the desire for novelty and the level of fatigue from monotony. Out of curiosity: if a person has the 7R allele in the D4 dopamine receptor, this in itself does not make him a liberal. This works in tandem with how many friends he had in his youth. The more of them, the more liberal it is. According to scientists, such a correlation arises because carriers of the 7R allele are open to new things and are generally adventurous, and a large number of friends suggests that among them with some probability there will be adherents of different views. Therefore, the person is still teenage age takes variety around.
If we evaluate the situation as a whole, it is as follows: a conditional conservative and liberal in different ways react to the unfamiliar, unexpected, or contrary to their beliefs. The first, if he hears some bold idea like the statement that children should not be beaten, feels stress. Alien ideas involve the area of the brain responsible for emotions, so that a person feels anger, irritation, begins to worry. He is afraid of everything new, so he strives to keep everything as it was, since stability gives a sense of security.
A person with more liberal views receptive to novelty, therefore, fresh ideas are not denied immediately on the approach. On the contrary, this character ponders them, considers them, and then makes his decision on them - not necessarily positive. Although this does not mean that people with a penchant for liberal views are all so rational. Some may also show an openness to the craziest ideas.
Do genes determine political views?
Some scientists believethat political beliefs are at least partly genetically determined, regardless of the political system and culture of the country. And they can be difficult to change even under pressure from society and under the influence of propaganda.
But above, it is no coincidence that we call a conservative and a liberal conditional. Genes determine not a party choice, but a general attitude to life: whether a person loves rules, how he relates to religion, whether he believes in hierarchy, whether he is ready to forgive other people's misdeeds. And it's not just DNA.
So while knowledge of the influence genes on politics can be perceived as optional. They can simplify the process of adhering to certain views, but they do not determine political preferences in a concrete way. But it is worth waiting for what scientists will dig up in the near future.
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