Today, I learned from a sister that one of our brothers has taken up painting at the age of 58; that brings the number of painters among our eight siblings to five. While only one of my brothers actually made a living from his fine art, it does speak to the role that genetics plays in determining human talent and behavior.
My father used to enjoy drawing and both of my genetic children are artists, one a designer and the other a painter; I have no idea how many of their 17 genetic cousins are engaged in some form of artistic endeavor but I suspect quite a few.
I write this post not to brag about the talents of my family but to illustrate how genes govern the course of human development. While familial exposure may encourage the display of innate talent, I suspect that the numbers reported above would not change if we had all been separated at birth. Furthermore, genetic-based talent is not merely technical skill; rather, it includes both the impulse to express that talent and the emotional reward derived from that expression.
My father used to enjoy drawing and both of my genetic children are artists, one a designer and the other a painter; I have no idea how many of their 17 genetic cousins are engaged in some form of artistic endeavor but I suspect quite a few.
I write this post not to brag about the talents of my family but to illustrate how genes govern the course of human development. While familial exposure may encourage the display of innate talent, I suspect that the numbers reported above would not change if we had all been separated at birth. Furthermore, genetic-based talent is not merely technical skill; rather, it includes both the impulse to express that talent and the emotional reward derived from that expression.
