Happiness Gene Blog 1

The idea that a happiness gene can be artificially put into a child before birth to assure their happiness is a scary idea to me. This teeters on a thin line potentially opening the door for more genetically modified emotions and feelings that would create a huge disconnect between being a human and synthetic. I don’t believe there should be a place for the genetic engineering and mutation of a gene that’s sole purpose is providing what seems to be “artificial happiness.”

 Happiness may have some attributing biological factors, but in my overall opinion, happiness is relative to your surroundings and the logic and morality you have as a human. You develop your own morals and enter different scenarios with your ideals and morals. If you have created a happy atmosphere then you can enter and exit these scenarios with an optimistic attitude and understanding that does not affect your happiness. There is also no need to be constantly happy, if that is what this modified gene would aim to do.  This would seem like a fake, or as I said before, synthetic happiness. There are times and opportunities to be sad, happy and all different emotions. It’s how you use these situations and handle your emotions within and after they are over. Happiness is so much more than a gene to me, it’s what creates, molds and establishes a person, so why would we want the shortcut of a genetically modified molecule as opposed to the natural way of living and learning?