The genetics of aggression and self-control

Everyone knows someone with a quick temper – it might even be you. And while scientists have known for decades that aggression is hereditary, there is another biological layer to those angry flare-ups: self-control.

In a paper published earlier this year in theJournal of Cognitive Neuroscience, my colleagues and I found that people who are genetically predisposed toward aggression try hard to control their anger, but have inefficient functioning in brain regions that control emotions.

In other words, self-control is, in part, biological.

Genetic explanations for social behaviour tend to be unpopular – and for good reason. The notion that some of our interactions with fellow humans may be partially determined by our ancestry goes against the "all people are created equal" or "fair go" ethos of democratic societies.

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-05-genetics-aggression-self-control.html