Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Explain Which Of Their Genetic Traits They Wish They Could Change The Most

People Explain Which Of Their Genetic Traits They Wish They Could Change The Most
Dna String Biology - Free image on Pixabay
Make us preferred on Google

In the life-defining battle for joy and contentedness, self-acceptance stands as a major prerequisite. We cannot change the things that are out of our control.

Feeling good only comes when we let go of our anger or sadness about those uncontrollable elements.


That said, it is so natural to yearn.

Nowhere are those uncontrollable variables more pronounced than in the area of genetics and inherited traits. Written on our body, solidly embedded in our DNA, these ailments and tendencies were there since day one.

And some of them suck.

A recent Reddit thread offered space for people to air some grievances about those inherited difficulties. A full life will demand accepting and living with these traits, but it's still nice to spend just a moment on the internet expressing some frustration.

C_Greuel04 asked, "What genetic trait of yours do you want to change the most?"

That Which Shall Not Be Named

"I'm a guy in my 30s. The hair on top of my head is thinning and I don't like that. I refuse to use THAT word, that word applies only to eagles and tires, not the human head. Nonetheless, I am paradoxically in both denial and still try to cover it up by military crew cutting my hair."

"I do wish it was fuller, though."

-- llcucf80

One-Two Punch

"Diabetes and mental illness. I'm too young to be this f***ed up." -- hurricanekeri

"I was gonna say my toe thumb but your comment reminded me of my crippling anxiety and depression." -- pixiepeg

"Same."

"I was diagnosed at a very young age (18 months) and it really just adds up and takes a heavy toll on you mentally. I've been really depressed for the last couple of years and I blame 85% of it on my diabetes." -- man_on_hill

Looking for the Sweet Spot

"My height. I wish I were 4-6 inches taller." -- somemetausername

"As a tall guy: Doesn't mean sh** if you're still a looser/don't have your sh** together." -- a**hole67throw

"Trade you! I'd rather be a few inches shorter" -- lildancingcat

Limb Struggles

"Well I'd probably undo my genetic disorder. I hate dislocating my shoulders every day!" -- thesunalsorose

"My only issue with not wanting EDS is that I would also lose the ability to relocate joints by myself" -- Dsexylic69

"But if you didn't have EDS, you wouldn't need to. Most people don't dislocate things."

"I think I'd miss my smooth, stretchy skin if I fixed my genes (probably EDS but too ill to get diagnosed) but I'd like to look my age and not be in as much pain. Being able to press buttons/use my tablet without my fingers bending backwards would be awesome." -- Purple-Penguin

An Unfortunate Hodge Podge

"I kind of won the shi**y genetics lottery. My entire family on both sides are addicts. My mother has npd and is bipolar and my father suffered from major depression and OCD. Both parents has psoriasis. My mother had thinning hair and my father had heart disease."

"Between both of them they were allergic to pretty much every substance on the planet. They were lactose intolerant and my father had celiac disease and IBS."

"I got all of the worst parts of all of that AND I got these little a** baby hands and feet from god knows where."

"If I could change anything I would just like to be able to breathe regularly and not get sinus infections every other damned day. That would be awesome!"

-- lizzpop2003

A Couple Very Different Struggles

"Would be nice to have actual breasts. I'm 30 and they seem to have not gotten the memo that they were supposed to keep growing past age 11."

"But if I can only have one fix then I'd fix my eyesight. I'm completely defenseless without glasses. Lifting them up now, pretty near to my monitor, I can faintly make out the colour of this text but no details of it. It's just a bunch of blurry lines to me."

-- TheCoolerL

Within Our Power?!

"My metabolism. I miss being able to eat whatever I wanted and it not effect me, but once I hit college and after, I have to be a lot more careful." -- Kunihiko001

"Pretty sure variation in metabolic rate is ~10% max. It's probably your activity level rather than your metabolism." -- Gazrael957

"That's a small range of percentage. And considering activities do affect metabolism and we change lifestyles when finishing high school, change in metabolism due to age seems to be even smaller. So it is just lazy people after all ..." -- villanelIa

NUTS

"Allergies, man. The amount of times people make puns on the word 'nuts' or just snicker is stupid. Yeah yeah I've had this my whole life guys get over it...literal death here"

"Also, imagine wondering what something tastes like that you've never had before! Asking people to describe nuts almost always is followed up by 'nutty' ahsvcjajskjffna seriously? No shit nuts are nutty? How helpful..."

"Some people do have fair responses tho like 'earthy' or 'the bitterness of straight coffee, but earthy' idk how accurate either of those are but they're all I got lol"

-- SnoreboarPanda

Unwanted Exterior

"I am a woman and I am f***ing hairy. My mom has no body hair. Like even her arm pits are mostly smooth and beautiful long hair only on her head."

"I take after my dad and can grow dark black hair over 1.5 inches on my legs. The sheer amount of time and money I spend on looking like a normal human is just too much. It's like evolution skipped me."

-- imdungrowinup

Constantly At Play

"ADHD. The ability to retain and recall information is one of the most basic and critical parts of life in general, not even just human life."

"How my brain can possibly manage to f*** that up repeatedly for decades is a mystery."

-- CuriousRelish

Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Elliot Page
The Daily Show/Comedy Central

Elliot Page Just Revealed Why He Was More Prepared For Filming 'The Odyssey' Than Some Of His Castmates—And It Makes Sense

The cast of Christopher Nolan's adaptation of the ancient Greek epic poem Odyssey has been doing publicity for the film, which premiered on July 17 in the U.S. and UK.

The Odyssey has been dominating the box office after dominating the minds of MAGA minions (and Elon Musk) and other White supremacists for over a year, thanks to Nolan's choice to cast diverse actors instead of an all White, cisgender cast.

Keep Reading Show less
Johnny Depp; Donald Trump
Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images; Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Johnny Depp Takes Swipe At Trump With Tariffs Joke During Rare Public Appearance At Comic-Con

Actor Johnny Depp appeared to mock President Donald Trump by joking about tariffs while in character to promote his upcoming film Ebenezer at San Diego Comic-Con last week.

Depp made a surprise appearance dressed as Ebenezer Scrooge, emerging from a fake storefront bearing a "Scrooge & Marley" sign. A crowd quickly gathered, with many attendees wishing him "Merry Christmas!" Depp stayed in character throughout the encounter, responding to fans as Scrooge.

Keep Reading Show less
Donald Trump; Screenshot of JD Vance and Donald Trump cartoons from 'Rick and Morty' style video
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images; @TheWhiteHouse/X

Trump Ripped After White House Shares Ultra-Cringey 'Rick And Morty'-Style Video To Promote MAGA

The Trump administration is facing criticism after the White House shared an altered version of the opening credits for the popular animated cartoon Rick and Morty, instead starring President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

The video depicts Trump and Vance piloting a flying saucer while being pursued by a winged demon. Other surreal scenes include Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer peeling off his face to reveal a robot underneath, space aliens being arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, and appearances by MAGA hats, Diet Coke and other imagery.

Keep Reading Show less
Donald Trump; Screenshot of Dylan Mulvaney
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images; @dylanmulvaney/TikTok

Dylan Mulvaney Claps Back At Trump After His Vile Attack On Her At White House Correspondents' Dinner

Transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney—who recently starred on Broadway in Six—took to TikTok to criticize President Donald Trump after he attacked her in a cruel joke at the White House Correspondents' Association (WCHA) dinner.

CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins received an award celebrating her journalistic achievements thus far from the WHCA; the award was presented to her by her CNN colleague Wolf Blitzer.

Keep Reading Show less
Robert Pattinson
Universal Pictures

A Clip Of Robert Pattinson From 'The Odyssey' Is Going Viral—And The Memes Are Too Good

Christopher Nolan's adaptation of The Odyssey has taken over social media as people discuss the movie's best moments, Nolan's hatred of CGI, the unique soundtrack, and even people rediscovering classic literature.

But one of the funniest things to come out of all of the discourse around the film has to be people's discussion of Robert Pattinson's portrayal of Antinous, the foremost suitor of Anne Hathaway’s Penelope. Antinous was, at best, a cowardly bully of a character who had no nerve when it was time to prove himself.

Keep Reading Show less