Terrible Genetic Defect Makes People Inquisitive

Alex Balk
The Awl
Published in
1 min readOct 28, 2010

Okay, Science, tell me about the “liberal gene” you’ve just discovered.

The research suggests that some people have an inherent bias against conservative thinking, that is independent of their education or upbringing. The effect is caused by a neurotransmitter in the brain called DRD4 which could be stimulated by the novelty value of left of centre opinions, say US researchers. In people who are naturally outgoing, the feature encourages them to seek out companions with unconventional views as they grow up. This in turn means they tend to form less conventional political viewpoints as adults, according to the study by the University of California and Harvard.

Wait, so the gene makes people more curious about experiences outside of their own and causes them to question common assumptions and traditional standards? No wonder liberals are so unhappy! Their genes are making them think. We need to find a cure for this immediately.

--

--