Happy genes

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BBC said:
Our level of happiness throughout life is strongly influenced by the genes with which we were born, say experts.

An Edinburgh University study of identical and non-identical twins suggests genes may control half the personality traits keeping us happy.

The other half is linked to lifestyle, career and relationships.
...

Here is the full article.

BBC News : Genes 'play key happiness role'

Remains to find which genes control happiness levels. DNA tests will be able to tell us our propensity to be happy in the future.

This is just one of thousands of things DNA tests will help us know from our early childhood, in order to lead a better life. Knowing that we have a poor physical endurance, that we are intolerant to some products (e.g. lactose), or particularily sensitive to some products or environment are all ways of knowing what to do or not to do to be happier. So "happy genes" may also involve not having many medical conditions that put strains to our daily life. People who are rarely ill, have no allergies, and feel energetic most of the time have more chances of leading a contended life than those who don't have the same luck.

But could a too high level of "natural happiness" lead to easy satisfaction, and therefore to a reluctance to effort, hard work and self-improvement ? Aren't the most successful people in life those that are contantly dissatisfied, now matter how well they perform ?

Other studies reveal that happiness is also related to sex (not a big discovery). Well, actually, men with lower testosterone levels feel more easily depressed says a study by the University of Western Australia. As testosterone levels decrease with age, men are more likely to be depressed as they grow old, and not just because of old age itself.

Testosterone acts as a stimulant, a bit like coffee, but with powerful psychological effects too. It is what motivates men to seek power, control, knowledge, money, fame or any other attribute likely to heighten their status and increase their chance of finding sexual partners. Without testosterone, motivation for countless activities drops, which leads to depression. This is partly why pre-menopaused women are more prone to depression than men of their age.

In East Asian cultures, the male Yang represents activity and vigour, while the female Yin is associated with apathy and depression. This may be a bit extreme and caricatural, but it shows that ancient people already observed this fundamental role of male and female hormones on mood.
 
Our Genes Respond Positively to The Right Kind of Happiness

The right kind of happiness doesn't just feel great, it also benefits the body, right down to its instructional code.

The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, examined the pattern of gene expression within the cells responsible for fighting off infectious diseases and defending the body against foreign materials (Fredrickson et al., 2013).

There is a bit more on
http://www.spring.org.uk/2013/09/our-genes-respond-positively-to-the-right-kind-of-happiness.php
 
It seems to be very good news. I have never heard about that earlier.
 
do happy genes mutate slower than stressed unhappy genes. .................DYS464 seem to mutate too often in stressful conditions
 
Exist, without doubt, the genetic and neurobiological bases of happiness but don't forget the psychosocial factor and the complex interaction between both.



See you....
 
I have read other studies showing that happiness is about 50% genetic, as is depression. Many creative geniuses have been depressed, but others have been hypomanic. As for the gender issue, it is true that depression is more common among females, who have little testosterone. But some females are very happy, perhaps from oxytocin and estrogen.
Too much testosterone can make men irritable and violent. There is an entire field of psychology now called Happiness Studies.
 
An interesting change in the dynamic of a relationship between a man and woman who have been long married can take place as they both age and hormone levels change. Men can become much sweeter, while women...well, there's not much that is more terrifying to me than some of the old women I've known. :petrified:

It wouldn't hurt in all of these kinds of studies for the researchers to attempt some definition of "happiness". I, for one, am not sure what it means. Contentment? Satisfaction? Happiness in the sense of real "joy" is different, I think, and it's transitory. You have moments of that if you're lucky...it's not a perpetual state.

Speaking just personally, I find people who are always "cheerful" and "upbeat" in American parlance to be rather "shallow" emotionally. I sometimes think it's because they have often not had to deal with very much tragedy in their lives. Perhaps, however, they would be the same even if the weight of the world was on their shoulders, and it's just a chemical predisposition. Regardless, I find it annoying. :LOL: That sounds terribly mean, but it's true. Even with some very dear friends, I sometimes want to shout, like Cher in Moonstruck, "Snap out of it!"

I also, as was alluded to, find that as a matter of personal preference, they are not "intense" enough for me in either their drives or their ambitions.

There...that's my totally unfiltered take on it...give me the tortured souls anytime.

Well...not 'this' tortured! Nicholas Cage and Cher in Moonstruck-One man's dream of happiness...
 
The only thing that spoils that intensely moving scene is Moonstruck, for me anyway, is the fact that Nick Cage looks so much like a werewolf in that scene.
 
How people perceive happiness differs from culture to culture and from person to person.
 
The only thing that spoils that intensely moving scene is Moonstruck, for me anyway, is the fact that Nick Cage looks so much like a werewolf in that scene.



In a warm and wonderful and 'wacky' movie, Nick Cage gives the wackiest performance of all, in my opinion. I'm one of those people who thinks he skated perilously close to the line in terms of over-acting and hamming it up, (and bizarre hair and make up
laughing.gif
...that was a great catch on your part, although he's supposed to be 'wolf like', as the movie explains, not vampire like). On balance, though, I think he helped make Moonstruck the funny and yet poignant movie that it is. All the Oscars it got are deserved, in my opinion. He did the same thing in Peggy Sue Got Married, another of my all time favorites.

So, in posting the clip, I was having a bit of fun with my own comment that it's the tortured souls that attract me...as he obviously attracted the ditzy girl, and hooked the hard boiled Loretta, with one rant.
smile.gif


It all does sort of tie in with the topic of the thread...is happiness bovine contentment because you have a decent job, an adequate financial situation, drama free personal relationships, the minimum of pain and loss? Perhaps.

But maybe that isn't enough for some people, or perhaps it's beside the point? Perhaps for those people living life to the fullest means not playing it safe; it means reaching for the prize, or the joy, and the sorrow that may come is just the price you pay.

Just thinking out loud.

Anyway...here's Ronnie on 'daring to live' and what it can bring you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7WkN_gPNaM

And this is the "Snap Out Of It" moment.
grin.png
:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMtRKgzI27c
 
That was a good performance by Cage, regardless of what he looked like. And it definitely was the best performance Cher ever gave. But the way I interpreted the movie is that it was saying happiness isn't really about bovine contentment but about being fully alive and engaged in life. The two main characters struggled against the way life and the expectations of family confined them until they became involved with one another and found a soul mate who could make them feel fully alive. I could picture them happily arguing with one another, and Cher's character getting mad and throwing things at Nick Cage's character, even in their old age.

On a separate note, about my previous post, I've developed a theory that autocorrect sneaks into stuff I've already posted and makes changes while I'm asleep. I prefer that idea to having to admit that I can't proofread properly.
 
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That was a good performance by Cage, regardless of what he looked like. And it definitely was the best performance Cher ever gave. But the way I interpreted the movie is that it was saying happiness isn't really about bovine contentment but about being fully alive and engaged in life. The two main characters struggled against the way life and the expectations of family confined them until they became involved with one another and found a soul mate who could make them feel fully alive. I could picture them happily arguing with one another, and Cher's character getting made and throwing things at Nick Cage's character, even in their old age.

On a separate note, about my previous post, I've developed a theory that autocorrect sneaks into stuff I've already posted and makes changes while I'm asleep. I prefer that idea to having to admit that I can't proofread properly.


I prefer your interpretation, and the way that you expressed it, so from now on, whenever I discuss the movie, I'm going to pretend that those were my original thoughts! :grin:

I can see them as well...I find that throwing things is very therapeutic, by the way, although I've learned not to throw breakables very often...pillows work too!

The edit function works very well for those spelling or grammar hiccups if I catch them before too much time has passed...although sometimes I would have to rewrite the whole sentence to get rid of that dangling participle or whatever, so I try to control myself. I can seem to ignore the spelling glitches though; I'm definitely OCD about it. I suppose it's not kosher to edit for this reason? In the future I'll just write...Edited for the spelling and some of the grammar...not a felicitous phrase...could I do an anagram for it?:LOL:
 
And it happened again. "Mad", not "made". The spelling gremlins are teasing me.
 

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