short version: german researchers identified a genetic mutation that seems to explain why some people do not seem to learn from their mistakes. long version here.
the article quoth:
the decreased sensitivity to negative consequences of actions as a result of d2 receptor reduction may also explain why the a1 gene variant has previously been linked to addictive and compulsive behaviors. even so, "it's our strong belief that the variant we investigated here is not the only cause for example of an addiction - but maybe it contributes to a predisposition for developing an addiction," klein stresses.
commentary: they studied 26 men, so it’s hard to draw any meaningful conclusions about this that can be extrapolated properly across the larger population, but it’s certainly interesting stuff—the ramifications of this are extraordinary.
most of us are familiar with the clinical definition of insanity: repeating the same behavior and expecting a different response. the idea that d6 receptor reduction represented by the a1 gene variant would be linked to addictive and compulsive behaviors due to less dopamine being produced/absorbed by the brain certainly seems reasonable. since dopamine is part of the brain’s “reward” process, this conclusion looks pretty straightforward, at least to my layman’s eyes.
it’s important to note that this isn’t just about steadfastly pushing on, the kind of persistence that often characterizes success in any field of human endeavor. people do not succeed by continuing to repeat the same behaviors in the face of failure: they change their approaches to address factors in failure—unless they’re, well, insane, hence the reference to the clinical definition of insanity, above.
me, i’m looking forward to the larger survey that this will no doubt trigger—i think this is potentially fascinating.
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