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While they have been long heralded as a source of inspiration and guidance, the first of his notebooks does not begin with groundbreaking philosophical commentary, nor deep political analysis. Rather, Aurelius chose to dedicate an entire journal to the impact that different people had on his life. Among many others, he recognizes his father for showing him a love of labor and perseverance, his brother for teaching him a love of justice and the truth, and his teacher Diognetus for instructing a love of learning. As one reads the passages, they will be able to construct an idea of Aurelius’s character―not built from his own deeds, but through piecing together the influence of each person he knew.
Approximately 1,650 years after Aurelius’ ponderings, a man named Gregor Mendel was born. After being ordained a priest, Mendel began studying the inheritance patterns of the pea plants in his garden, and his findings became the foundation for our modern day understanding of genetics. It was already known, of course, that children tended to resemble their relatives in both appearance and attitude, but Mendel’s work provided the biological reasoning behind the phenomena. As scientific inquiry expanded throughout the next several centuries, it was discovered that genes controlled not just one’s physical traits, but could also influence personality and disposition. Perhaps Aurelius did not learn to value hard work simply from observing his father, but also because he passed down a certain sequence of deoxyribonucleic acids.
Recent research has shown that DNA is also affected by environmental factors, which can lead to the activation (or lack thereof) of certain genes. This field of study is called epigenetics. Experimentation in epigenetics is a fascinating look into the irreversible impact of others’ actions on our psyche and biology. For example, one experiment revealed that baby rats who are not given proper attention from their mothers become more anxious than other rats, as the GR gene that facilitates stress response is not activated (Szyf). Similarly, humans who have been bullied in their youth tend to have lower rates of DNA methylation, a mechanism of transferring methyl groups on DNA that facilitates gene expression (Mulder, et al.). While the long-term implications of this research aren’t fully understood, it indicates that the people we surround ourselves with change us in more than just a philosophical sense―they can also have real, tangible effects on our DNA.
The way that other people can impact us has intrigued both ancient Roman emperors and cutting-edge scientists alike. Influenced by their interest, I find myself drawn to the question as well. Would the presence or absence of a singular person in my life have made me a completely different version of myself? Have I learned gentleness and perseverance through the examples of my mother’s kind words and my father’s relentless work ethic, or simply because of the combination of amino acids that forms the DNA they’ve passed on? Are there people I have met who have changed my biology itself?
I may not have all of the answers, but I can do as Marcus Aerelius did nearly 2 millennia ago―put my thoughts on paper, feeling the ink of the pen flow and hoping that I will eventually find some semblance of understanding. Even if no perfect explanation is forthcoming, I can still close my journal each night with the knowledge that I am a mosaic of every person who I have ever met―and they have a piece of me inside themselves as well.
Mulder, Rosa H, et al. “Epigenomics of Being Bullied: Changes in DNA Methylation Following Bullying Exposure.” Epigenetics, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2020, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7574379/.
Clara Heberling is a freshman McConnell Scholar in the class of 2028 studying Spanish and Political Science.