Happiness and Genetics

Paper Summary:

This paper presents evidence supporting the theory that an individual's state of happiness is not primarily determined by genetics, but is influenced by his environment and his own mental discipline.

From the Paper:

"Numerous studies have proved that the role of environmental influences and parental guidance play the most important role in the development of personality, which can be directly linked to an individual's response to circumstances. Since everyone experiences disappointment and challenges, coping skills form the most important link between state of happiness or unhappiness. Behaviorists and environmentalists believe that a child learns these responses early in his life from his parents and authority figures, peers and his own deductive powers.
Scottish philosopher John MacMurray stated that a baby's adaptation to his environment consists of his own expressions of discomfort or comfort. Parental responses provoke reactions from the infant. This dynamic continues as the child grows older. Parents who respond to their child's needs in ways that build self-esteem and confidence foster in their offspring the ability to cope with adversity and to create change in their own lives."

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