Is Laziness Genetic? Read This Article Before Blaming Your Parents
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Unable to leave the couch? Research shows that some genetic traits may make people more or less inclined to be lazy.
According to some researchers, you may blame your genes for this.
Some research suggests that you may have to blame your parents if you choose to put off doing your homework or surf the web instead.
So, is laziness really hereditary?
Could your lack of motivation and unwillingness to do anything be attributed to your genes?
Well, it is more complicated than that.
To learn more, keep reading.
We will uncover what science says about the effect of genes on the tendency toward laziness. And what does that mean for you if you feel concerned?
Let’s go through some definitions first.
Table of Contents
What Is Laziness?
Laziness is the unwillingness to get things done and perform activities that are necessary or expected because of the effort involved.
So, instead of doing what is important, a lazy person may prefer to engage in meaningless, less demanding, and often more enjoyable activities. Other times, the lazy person chooses to do nothing.
Overall, laziness is often associated with a lack of motivation and discipline and a lack of interest in having plans and goals.
Today’s culture values tenacity and effort, so being called “lazy” is a severe insult. And yet, many of us are eager to apply this label to others.
According to a 2015 study from the Pew Research Center, 63% of Millennials and approximately half of the US population think that Americans in general are lazy.
In the realm of psychology, “laziness” is not a recognized clinical word, which means that you can’t be medically diagnosed as lazy by a psychologist or a psychiatrist.
Still, some psychologists have tried to figure out what laziness is by looking at how the word is used in popular culture.
Laziness vs. Procrastination: Key Differences
Laziness and procrastination are not the same. They may overlap at times, but their underlying causes and mechanisms are quite different.
A lazy person often doesn’t have the drive to do important tasks and activities and just doesn’t want to put in the effort that is needed.
A lazy person has a general apathy towards efforts, plans, and goals in general; he or she does not see the point of putting in the effort.
On the other hand, a procrastinator is usually willing to do the task, but they keep putting it off for different reasons, such as fear of failure, paralyzing perfectionism, emotional distress, or putting things off until the last minute on purpose (active procrastination).
As opposed to a lazy person, who is usually unwilling to exert any effort, a procrastinator is willing and often eager to put in the necessary effort, but they can’t get things done because they can’t control their emotions or themselves.
Read our comprehensive article: Laziness Vs Procrastination: Understand the Difference (Take Our Quiz)
Understanding the Effects of Genetics on Personality and Laziness
1. How Do Our Genetics Have an Effect on Our Personalities:
Scientists have been studying and researching how genetic variation influences behavior and personality traits, mental disorders, and social attitudes for a long time.
This field of study is called “behavioral genetics,” which usually entails twin studies, adoption studies, and more recently molecular genetics to examine different correlations.
Thomas Bouchard and Matt McGua carried out one of the most well-known studies in this area in Minnesota. The Minnesota Study of twins raised apart examined the genetic and environmental influences on a variety of traits in great detail over the course of twenty years.
For instance, the study discovered strong connections between IQ and genetics, among other similarities.
One famous case is a set of identical twins who were separated at birth and reunited at the age of 39, only to discover they shared the same name, Jim.
They also had a lot of things in common, including math as their favorite subject and spelling as their least favorite. When they were younger, they used to go on vacation along the same stretch of beach; they shared the same smoking and drinking habits; and they both experienced stress headaches that progressed to migraines.
The Big 5 personality traits (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism) were then the focus of researcher Eyenesk and his colleagues.
The results of their study showed a staggering 40 to 60% heritability of personality traits. This means that the majority of our personality traits are inherited.
Keep reading.
2. Laziness and the Personality Trait (Conscientiousness)
Procrastination has also been strongly associated with low conscientiousness.
One of the Big Five core personality traits, conscientiousness reflects the tendency to be dependable, well-organized, hardworking, goal-directed, have good self-control, and respect the rules.
In contrast, people who are low in conscientiousness tend to be laid-back and relaxed; they are less organized, and they tend to procrastinate more. They tend to be perceived as lazy and undriven.
Most studies found that around 30–60% of individual variations in conscientiousness are genetic in origin.
Some scientists think that the genetics of impulsivity and laziness are connected. Low conscientiousness is also associated with impulsivity.
More on that in our article: Is procrastination a personality trait?
3. Is Laziness Genetic? What Does The Research Say?
There may be genes that predispose you to laziness, according to some genetic researchers. Studies done on rats, at least, suggest that laziness may be genetically predisposed.
Researchers at the University of Missouri looked at 10 generations of rats to find out if there was a genetic link to being lazy.
They discovered 36 genes, out of more than 17,000 different genes, that lead to laziness and physical inactivity.
In a 2004 study by the National Institute of Mental Health in Maryland, researchers injected a DNA fragment into the brains of a group of “lazy” monkeys.
The injections were supposed to temporarily turn off a crucial gene in a part of the brain called the “rhinal cortex,” which is known to be involved in processing reward signals.
Scientists noticed that the administration of gene therapy turned these lazy primates into very active and “workaholic” beasts.
Despite the fact that these studies were done on animals, they add to the growing evidence that genes have an important role on motivation and self-control.
The extent of genetic influence on procrastination tendency varies across studies. A study published in SAGE Journals found that procrastination is moderately heritable, with 46% of variation attributed to inherited genetic factors. Another study however found the correlation to be only 22%.
You Think You May Have the Laziness Gene? Not So Fast
It is worth noting that many of these trials are done on mice, so it is not easy to replicate them in the more complex system of a human being.
These studies fail to examine the complex environmental role of certain behaviors and just focused on a rare gene that reduces one’s will to be active.
For many scientists, laziness is a learned behavior and the product of the environment, and having some genetic predisposition should not be viewed separately from the influence of the environment and our lifestyle choices.
What about genetic testing for personality?
Personality DNA testing is available and can allow you to access your genetic information by using DNA sequencing technology to provide analysis of your personality characteristics, including traits such as conscientiousness, which has been associated with procrastination and laziness.
Interesting Fact: What If Laziness Helped the Human Race Survive!
Researchers at the University of Kansas think that being lazy may have helped our species evolve.
Researchers who studied mollusks thought that these animals were more likely to go extinct if they used up more energy every day.
They were less likely to travel in search of food to ensure their survival because they required less energy to function. This may have helped them survive for millions of years.
Given that this data set is large and covers a long period of time, some people think that it could be used to draw conclusions about humans.
So, is it now “survival of the laziest” instead of “survival of the fittest”?
Well, it’s still unclear whether the data can be applied to vertebrates and humans.
What Does This Mean for You ?
Before you jump to conclusions and start complaining about your “lazy genes,” you need to understand some stuff.
First, there is evidence that genetics do influence your personality traits and, to some extent, your levels of self-control and overall drive.
But does it mean that you are bound by your genetics?
Not really.
Contrary to popular belief, genes are not set in stone. Your environment, lifestyle, and personal choices can all affect the way your genes express themselves. This process is called “epigenetics.”.
Although you can’t change your DNA sequence, you can absolutely influence your genes’ expression.
Specific genes are turned “on” or “off” based on your lifestyle and environment. You can absolutely take charge of your body and mind if you put in the effort.
For example, in the case of cancer, a person’s unhealthy lifestyle may activate a gene that promotes the development of abnormal cells. A healthier lifestyle may disable that gene and help prevent cancer.
While it may be easy to just point the finger at your parents, your fate is not determined by your DNA.
So don’t think that just because you have certain genetic predispositions, you are bound to be lazy your whole life.
You can still take matters into your own hands and change your life by changing your lifestyle, behavior, and thinking patterns with the strategies that we offer on this website.
Key Takeaways:
- In the realm of psychology, “laziness” is not a recognized clinical word, but it can be defined as the unwillingness to exert the necessary effort to get important things done.
- Studies show that laziness may be attributed to specific genes, and some researchers think that people may have a gene that makes them more prone to laziness.
- Genes do influence personality traits and, to some extent, the general tendency for some people to be lazy, but environment, lifestyle, and personal choices can all affect the way genes express themselves.
- Laziness is viewed by many researchers as a learned response.
- Understanding your genes essentially entails controlling or optimizing your body’s machine for optimum functioning.
- You can take matters into your own hands and change your lifestyle, behavior, and thinking patterns with different techniques and strategies.
So what are your thoughts? Share them with us in the comments.
By Sam David
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