Can one be born a geek?

[Rellik San]

I ask this because I was thinking about my mother.

First an explanation of my mother; My mother is a 50 year old, goth, gamer, grandma. She was slinging dice and painting Warhammer models before I was even a twinkle in her eye. She adores Anime, not just Ghibli, but Dominion Tank Police, Doomed Megaopolis and others. 3 out of 4 of her children are geeks.

Was there an inherent genetic prepensity towards being a geek passed down genetically? I mean none of us ever really rebelled (we never had a cause to), and surely disliking what your parents like is all part of being a teenager? But the fact that we still like all these things and always have, does that mean some part of our genetic make up has caused us to gravitate towards them.

Not just my Mother, but my Uncle on her side too, my Grandmother on that side of the family too, whilst she was never a gamer or such, she had a keen interests in things like Fantasy and Science Fiction.

So Escapist, can one be born a geek? Is there some kind of genetic prepensity towards liking these traditionally spotty, socially awkward past times?

 

[Bobbity]

Well, this is pretty much that entire 'Nature/Nurture' argument.

I don't think that you were born with a predisposition towards geekiness, but growing up in that household, you didn't have a hope in hell of avoiding it.

 

[Valagetti]

A little bit as far as I know. Now its gotten worse!!!

 

[Rellik San]

I don't think that you were born with a predisposition towards geekiness, but growing up in that household, you didn't have a hope in hell of avoiding it.

Oddly enough we already know my Nephew will be a Geek... and I've already drawn up plans for his first Hornby set.

 

[Radoh]

If you were born at a sci-fi convention to a mother who cosplayed princess Leia, maybe.

 

[DanielBrown]

No, who you become depends mostly on your surroundings while growing up.
Taking an intrest in your parents hobbies isn't exactly unusual.

 

[Kortney]

Exactly what gene makes one love Cheez-Its and Star Trek?

 

[Evil Moo]

I think there are both genetic and environmental factors, though in your case, growing up with such a bias towards geeky activities around you, any genetic influences are going to be largely drowned out anyway.

 

[rabidmidget]

When you grow up with a family that enjoys and almost encourages geekery, it isn't hard to become one yourself, my dad's a gamer and so was his father.

 

[matesds]

I'm not sure about the being born geek, but one can be definitively born a nerd, fo sho.