I found the documentary enlightening, partly because I was unaware that science, technology, and the database of information on what genes influence specific conditions had progressed as far as being able to predict so much about our personal experiences at different stages in life. Yet, I was, as one of the women in the film, a little disturbed that so much information could be readily available to me if I so wish. Much like in statistics, where newfound information can tell you much about the probability of related events, knowing our genetic information can influence the probability of the actions we take in the future.
In light of this, I would like to consider Nelson Mandela’s words, “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” I am of the belief that fear is a strong motivator for our actions, yet I do not want to reflect on my life decisions knowing they were based on all the worst case scenarios instead of the best of opportunities available to me. If the fear is there for someone who would like to minimize their risk of certain conditions, life-style choices could be made, independently of genetic information available, to avoid such conditions. I realize that this theory does not account for certain conditions that we are unaware we are at risk of, but some those conditions are typically a result of family history that most people are generally aware about.
I believe that a little ignorance about our future can go a long way in helping us remain rational, hopeful, and happy. Would you want to know about an imminent condition despite your inability to take action in regards to its prevention? Would this knowledge put avoidable stressors on your life with thoughts of what hurdles may lay ahead in your future? Would you want to worry for the rest of your life about the possibility of developing a condition that you may never get? While I can appreciate the advancements that modern medicine can make with the knowledge of a human’s genome, these are also important things to consider when it comes to the repercussions of our curiosity.
That quote by Nelson Mandela is very powerful. Behavior motivated by potential and possibility is more likely to create a better future than behavior motivated by fear. Also it seems like in the future we will have to maintain a fine balance between the pros and cons of what modern medicine can reveal to us, such as information about personal genetics, etc.
The dichotomy of knowledge vs. fear is so relevant when it comes to cutting-edge technology. On one hand, I don’t think science should be limited by humans’ sometimes backward way of thinking but at the same time, the DNA gene reading you mentioned could potentially change our entire philosophy of life and shouldn’t be taken lightly.
I believe that there are definite pros and cons to this subject matter. Personally, while some may believe that they don’t want to know what diseases they may encounter in the future potentially as it may result in them ruining their present, I believe the opposite. If I were to know that I was likely to get a certain disease in a couple of years based on my genetics, then I would change my lifestyle now and take preventative measures. Prevention is always better than reaction and sometimes people don’t believe the seriousness of taking care of their health for example because they believe that “nothing will happen to them”. However, if evidence shows that they have the potential to contract a disease, then I believe that an increasing amount of people will start taking better care of themselves.