Has Your Mind Already Been Made Because Of Your Biology?

Can you blame the dog for chasing the rabbit? You could be angry that the dog brought the rabbit into the house unexpectedly( A fun family memory) but you can’t blame the dog for going after the rabbit because that is the nature of dogs. So why do we blame others for behaviors that are so far out of control?

We have been debating for so long the idea of nature and nurture and while nature has an impact on someone, it might not actually be as determinant as we believe. More and more we are understanding how our minds work and that for the most part we are unaware and unable to change that pathway. That nasty woman at the store? She might have had a bad childhood. She might not understand the social norms of dealing with people because no one showed her differently, but fundamentally the structure to be that person was already there.

We talk about coping skills and learned lessons from our path that help us determine why some people react differently to others despite being in the same situation. As we map out the brain more, we might gain a better sense of how differently our own biology is set up that no matter the situation we are put in, we could expect the programmed outcome. That we are helpless against our own self. That the choice we think we are making has already been made by who we are. Who we always have been. Free will? Determinism? Change? Choice? It just doesn’t matter.