Choice? Or born with it?

Hey there all you AO people who I love so much:p

I was wondering.......Who thinks that we are Born with thinkgs like "Being a achoholic" or Born Gay? Things like that....

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You might have read or heard that scientists have discovered that alcoholism is genetic. This is, in fact, partially true. This makes some people believe that alcoholics are not at fault for their behavior. This notion, however, is completely false. Just as is the case with a tendency for being overweight, your DNA can give you a general tendency to be an alcoholic. People with this genetic tendency find it very easy to get drunk, and they have fewer side effects the next morning. They also tend to enjoy the experience of drunkenness more. These traits are determined by their DNA. However, their DNA does not make them drink. With the proper self-control, even those with the strongest tendency for alcoholism can completely abstain from alcohol, fighting the tendency that their DNA has given them. This is evidenced by the fact that more than 30% of all non-alcoholics have a strong genetic tendency to alcoholism. In addition, only 65% of alcoholics have this genetic tendency. These numbers indicate that some people have a genetic tendency towards alcoholism but manage to control it, while others do not even have the genetic tendency to begin with and are still alcoholics.

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Do you think its a choice? Or do you think people are born with it and therefore have no choice?

Please share your thoughts on this matter.

"Born with it" is never the case when it comes to how you think. Perhaps that's just an opinion of mine, but at the very least I like to think that one has a chance to be like their parents as far as thought is concerned only if they choose to. Being born with a specific frame of mind is like saying that there's 2 day old babies that are gay already and have nothing they can do about it.
What it sounds like you're talkin' about depends if you believe in determinism or free will.
If in fact you believe in determinism then there's no reason to give someone praise when they do something well and no reason to punish them when they've done wrong because it's the script that's been written for their life and they can do nothing different. Like you starting this thread would be part of your life that you had no choice but to do. And then of course, there's free will, which we all know and love.

I think your quote basically sums it up already. Genetic disposition does not remove the resposibility of personal choice.

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Originally Posted by Agent Orange 216

"Born with it" is never the case when it comes to how you think. Perhaps that's just an opinion of mine, but at the very least I like to think that one has a chance to be like their parents as far as thought is concerned only if they choose to. Being born with a specific frame of mind is like saying that there's 2 day old babies that are gay already and have nothing they can do about it.
What it sounds like you're talkin' about depends if you believe in determinism or free will.
If in fact you believe in determinism then there's no reason to give someone praise when they do something well and no reason to punish them when they've done wrong because it's the script that's been written for their life and they can do nothing different. Like you starting this thread would be part of your life that you had no choice but to do. And then of course, there's free will, which we all know and love.

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I somewhat agree. You can have alcoholism in your genes, but you'll only become an alcoholic if you choose to become one. I am not going to argue about homosexuality because I don't know if it's biological or choice, I don't know enough to claim anything.

I can say one thing, I don't know how relevant or true this is but I read in readers digest or discover mag (Some mag my mom always gets) that certain behavioral traits from your parents can show up in you even with the absence of their influence. Adopted children for instance even ones adopted at birth can eventually start showing behavioral traits of their biological parents. When they are younger like 3-10 their behaviour reflects that of their adopted family but when they go into adolescence they start showing traits of their biological parents more and more.

I'd like to find that article or a similar study, it was interesting.

There is always a choice, there are factors in our life, in our genes perhaps, that effect our choices, but in the end it is our choice. There are pressures in life, there are hints and messages through out our daily life, but it is our choice to pay heed to these.

Choice, its an option.

Everything is on the right to DECIDE.... everything is our choice... factors... genes, etc are just excuses to justify our bad criteria....

i believe life is what u make it out to be so, it is your own decision to be gay or w/e

Ah the old nature vs. nurture argument. Never thought to see it here.