Summary

The article discusses the minimal genetic differences between humans and emphasizes the role of environmental factors in shaping individual identities and beliefs.

Abstract

The article, referencing a piece by Jennifer McCreight, Ph.D., from 23andMe, highlights that humans share 99.5% of their genetic makeup, suggesting that perceived differences are largely superficial. It argues that the true distinctions among people stem from post-birth environmental programming, including upbringing, cultural influences, and personal experiences. The author posits that our identities and beliefs are not inherent but are developed through the input we receive from our surroundings. The article challenges readers to consider that the differences we perceive are not rooted in our genetic makeup but are constructs of our minds, shaped by the unique circumstances of our lives. It concludes that by recognizing and undoing this programming, we can appreciate the beauty in our minor genetic variances.

Opinions

The author believes that the 0.5% genetic difference among humans is insignificant compared to the perceived major differences, which are a product of our minds.
The article suggests that our core characteristics, such as talents, interests, and beliefs, are not predetermined but are heavily influenced by the environment we grow up in.
It implies that people's identities are formed by the interactions between their innate traits and the external inputs they receive throughout life.
The author asserts that if one were to experience the same life events as another person, they would likely adopt similar beliefs, indicating that our belief systems are not inherently different but are shaped by our experiences.
The text conveys the opinion that categories of difference are not real but are mental constructs resulting from societal programming.
It is proposed that by transcending these programmed categories, one can recognize the beauty in the minimal genetic differences that do exist among humans.

How Different Are We, Really?

And Who Are We, Really?

Browsing through 23andMe’s resources, I came across a June 26th, 2020 article by Jennifer McCreight, Ph.D., a Science Communication Senior Program Manager at 23andMe.

In the article, McCreight writes, “…even though we are all 99.5 percent genetically identical, we still aren’t treated 100 percent equally.”

And rather than go into the genetics (which I know nothing about), I’ll jump right to the big question:

If we’re 99.5% alike, where are our actual differences?

Is skin color in that .5%? Gender identity? Neurotype? Intelligence? Sexuality? Our talents? Some other inconsequential difference that some people deem so important?

Let’s get real here. 99.5% may as well be 100%, minus whatever minor variances we have. The “major differences” between us are only perceived as such. Basically? They’re all in our minds.

They’re not in how we’re physically built, but in our after-birth programming. Our beliefs.

So let’s take a quick step back and ask an important question. It’s not “how different are we?” because we aren’t. It’s this:

Who Are We, Really?

Your birth was a sort of lottery, and you won. By sheer luck, you ended up in the body you have, to the parents you had (or didn’t have), in the country where you were raised…

And around the people who surrounded you your entire life.

Depending on where you landed, you experienced life very differently. Some things you were born with. A talent. A certain strength. An interest in a particular topic. A sexuality or gender identity. A skin color or certain body shape. A big nose, or a little nose…

Then, your environment happened. The way your parents raised you (or didn’t raise you). The things they said. The things they did. What they got angry about and when they withdrew. If they fed you, or didn’t feed you. And what they did, or didn’t worry about.

You created your identity and your internal map of the world using what you could see. Your parents, your neighborhood…and how people interacted with you. What was, and wasn’t available to you.

Let’s unpack that for a moment, because I want you to notice something.

You weren’t a “blank slate” when you were born. You were like an intricate computer system. Your environment was the input that programmed you. It taught you what language to speak. How to think. What to believe…

You weren’t the body you were randomly placed into — you were the programmer that took input from the environment and programmed it into the mind you received.

And then…

You jumped into your body and forgot that you were actually the programmer. The consciousness that programmed everything you believe in.

Where’s the proof?

Look at anyone at all that you completely disagree with. Someone whose beliefs are so different to yours that you can’t help but roll your eyes when you hear them.

Now, imagine yourself growing up in their life. Hearing exactly the things they heard. Experiencing exactly the same events.

Can you see how you would think exactly the same way they do now?

Of course, that’s an impossibility. There isn’t a single person in this world who has the same exact experiences growing up as another person.

And that’s why it’s so important to see:

You are not different; only your beliefs are different. Even the categories in which you see things aren’t real; they’re programmed in your mind.

Undo the programming, and the differences between us go away.

Then, all that remains is the beauty of the .5%.