I have lost count of the number of times over the years that I have said that I am at my best when I am learning. At various stages in my life and career, this has not been the case and I have been bored and apathetic as a consequence; not that I have always known it at the time (although my friends and family will have done!). Learning of course takes many forms, from emotional to factual to coordinational, and everything in between. I read recently of an experiment conducted in the 1960s that confounded psychologists at the time in that it appeared to reveal (in chimps) an innate desire to learn for the sake of learning, without the prospect of extrinsic reward or judgement. Take that, performance related pay!
I have just finished the excellent book, ‘the Sports Gene’, by David Epstein (despite, or maybe because, of his background, I think he should have called it something like ‘the Talent Gene’ so as not to scare off those people who find sport anathema – it is about so much more than sport). Exploring the complexities of the nature vs nurture debate, the book details the growing understanding that we have for the role of genetics. Even in 2014, it seems we have barely scratched the surface of unlocking potential in the human genome and there is plenty of exciting work currently underway.
Needless to say, it is a controversial topic and advocates of Ericsson’s 10,000 hours theory, such as Matthew Syed (see Bounce), will I am sure bristle at some of the insights and suggestions. It is uncontroversial to think of height, hair colour or other forms of physical resemblance as genetically inherited; in fact, parents usually revel in it. However, whilst some people might seek solace in seeing a disease or obesity as a genetically inherited trait, the postulation that memory or perseverance could be inherited would immediately cause academic and popular consternation.
But, obese and persevering people, it seems to me that you can’t have your cake and eat it too: why should some things be inherited and others not, simply because it appears at first unpalatable ethically that this might be the case? Epstein is commended by various reviewers of his book for tackling some of these issues head on. And yet, as the research he explores continues apace, I am sure his steps will soon appear somewhat timid. We are of course mired by twentieth century efforts at human genetic manipulation and yet, at the same time, we take genetic modification for granted in horse racing and dog breeding.
This unnatural selection has sometimes caused genetic problems for the breeds in question and yet it has also allowed unethical humans to push the boundaries of speed, trainability and beauty, amongst other characteristics. What I like about Epstein’s book is that it begins to point to the positive potential of knowing about your own genetic makeup; how you can use the information about yourself to make better decisions about your lifelong learning, such as eliminating strenuous exercise if you are prone to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Yes, your lifelong learning, meaning I share Epstein’s view that nurture is just as important as nature to who you are and who you become, if not who you start out.
Sure, in the wrong hands or with the wrong intentions, genetic information could be fraught with despondency and manipulation, but it seems to me that, whether we like it or not, this ship is sailing and we have a choice: ignore it and pretend we all have unlimited potential or embrace it and recognise that our diversity is our strength and right. There needn’t be a clash between science and ethics if we view the glass half full. Of genes; ready to make a cocktail. I, for one, wish I knew what was in my glass so that I could make better decisions about my future. But perhaps I inherited positivity and curiosity too!
Addendum: I started wondering why I write these blogs. Perhaps nobody reads them but me. However, I would still write them as it helps remind me of what and how I was thinking. It is somewhat indulgent and pretentious of me to store these musings online but it also helps give me some perspective on my own views as well as keeping me honest enough to keep doing so.
Southampton, 16th April 2014
Scholey.com 