How Trendy Are Our Genes?

"Identical twins who were raised in different households were more similar in their emotions then were fraternal twins who were raised together. If one identical twin was generally positive, the researchers found that there was a high likelihood that the sibling on the other side of the country would be as well. These findings point to the importance of genes in how happy we are, and other researchers have replicated this finding. For example, a Danish team used twins as participants in their research to analyze how variable happiness is over time. They were interested in how much people's moods naturally bounce up and fall down from their own personal happiness average. The Danish researchers estimated that about a quarter of variability in happiness is based on direct genetic factors." - Ed Diener

"In cultures around the world, extroverts tend to experience more positive feelings, as though they are prone to this by biology." - Ed Diener

I've felt as though my genes predispose me to anger through the years. And though the study suggests genes to be a key factor, they also suggest that they're not the only factor. Like other circumstances beyond our control, we can focus on what is controllable - namely the response to angry influences. Do we fan the flames by piling up recent and old sob stories? Or deflect them into the trash by turning our attention to more productive things? Bad genes deserve the same treatment as bad jeans.