Is Generosity Genetic?

Medicalnewstoday suggest genes that influence certain hormones may make people more generous and  nice.  It stems from how they perceive the world around them.  The hormones oxytocin and vasopressin are associated to displays of niceness.  Now psychologists  say that people's niceness may also depend on the genes that control the receptors that bind to these two hormones.  The genes' influence also depends on if people's perception of the world is generally good or bad.

[caption id="attachment_4586" align="aligncenter" width="334" caption="Is it all your fault that you're not generous? "][/caption]

Hormones bind with receptors on their surface. Once the hormone is attached, it can send signals into the cell that influence the cell’s function.  There are several genes that control the function of oxytocin and vasopressin receptors.  Researchers claim they found that the genes combined with people’s perceptions of the world contribute to the prediction of generosity.

If niceness was purely genetic, the world could be a very different place.  Because this study shows that this is not the case, it shows that your personality may be linked to what genes you acquire when you are born.  This could eventually lead to being able to choose what personality traits your unborn children will have.