Born to be wild?

NY Times:

Jason Dallas used to think of his daredevil streak Â? a love of backcountry skiing, mountain bikes and fast vehicles Â? as "a personality thing."

Then he heard that scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle had linked risk-taking behavior in mice to a gene. Those without it pranced unprotected along a steel beam instead of huddling in safety like the other mice.

Now Mr. Dallas, a chef in Seattle, is convinced he has a genetic predisposition for risk-taking, a conclusion the researchers say is not unwarranted, since they believe similar variations in human genes can explain why people perceive danger differently.

"It's in your blood," Mr. Dallas said. "You hear people say that kind of thing, but now you know it really is."

A growing understanding of human genetics is prompting fresh consideration of how much control people have over who they are and how they act. The recent discoveries include genes that seem to influence whether an individual is fat, has a gift for dance or will be addicted to cigarettes. Pronouncements about the power of genes seem to be in the news almost daily, and are changing the way some Americans feel about themselves, their flaws and their talents, as well as the decisions they make.

For some people, the idea that they may not be entirely at fault for some of their less desirable qualities is liberating, conferring a scientifically backed reprieve from guilt and self-doubt. Others feel doomed by their own DNA, which seems less changeable than the more traditional culprits for personal failings, like a lack of discipline or bad childhoods. And many find it simply depressing to think that their accomplishments might not be the result of their own efforts.

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There is a huge difference between a predisposition to certain conduct and an inability to control our impulses. Most of us have a predisposition to want sex, but we have learned to control that impulse and direct in ways that do not harm ourselves and others. Those who do not will suffer consequences both physically and judicially. The same can be said for those who enjoy driving fast or recklessly. Genetics should never be an excuse for not controlling ones impulses.