DNA is more important than any other factor in shaping who we are: it influences everything from whether we are extroverted or introverted, whether we have mental illness or are a morning person, and how well we do at school. What’s more, the influence of DNA becomes stronger as we get older.
Robert Plomin’s research shows just how far we are all shaped by our genes from birth, and how they, in turn, influence the environments in which we live and the life experiences we are likely to have. It turns out even nurture is actually nature: we seek out environments and are parented in ways that fit our genetic pre-disposition.
