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

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

Screenshots of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez giving Capitol tour
@AmberJoCooperX; @aoc/BlueSky

AOC Saves The Day By Giving Bronx Middle School Group A Tour Of The Capitol Amid Shutdown

New York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had people cheering after she stepped in to act as tour guide after a group of middle schoolers from the Bronx pulled up to the Capitol hours after the U.S. government officially shut down.

The federal government shut down early Wednesday after the White House and Congress failed to reach an agreement on federal spending. While Senate Democrats are in the minority, they hold enough seats to filibuster and are insisting that Republicans agree to extend federal subsidies for people insured under the Affordable Care Act.

Keep ReadingShow less
house with orange walls and red roof behind decorative fence

.

Alexander Lunyov on Unsplash

Homeowners Reveal Hidden Gems They Only Discovered After Buying Their Homes

Whenever you buy a house, you hope and pray for the best.

You never want an unexpected shock once everything is finalized.

Keep ReadingShow less
John Gillette; Pramila Jayapal
@AzRepGillette/X; Win McNamee/Getty Images

GOP Lawmaker Sparks Outrage After Calling For Dem Rep. To Be Executed For Urging People To Protest Trump

On Wednesday, September 25, an Arizona MAGA Republican state Representative publicly called for the execution of Washington Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal because she urged anyone displeased with MAGA Republican President Donald Trump's job performance to exercise their First Amendment right to free speech and to protest.

Apparently, urging citizens to make their voices heard was a step too far for Arizona state GOP Representative John Gillette, who responded to a clip edited out of a longer video by right-wing account The Patriot Oasis (TPO). A quick scan through Gillette's X account media posts will reveal his political leanings.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from ​@nicolekatelynn1's TikTok video
@nicolekatelynn1/TikTok

Liberal TikToker Mortified After Discovering That Her Therapist Is Hardcore MAGA

There used to be a time where politics did not have to come into every room or be a part of every conversation. But in a world with President Trump and MAGA, it's not as simple as being Red, Blue, or Green anymore.

Now, the sociopolitical climate is dangerous for many people and still very stress-inducing for others. It's important to surround ourselves with people who make us feel safe and seen—and unfortunately, that might mean cutting out people who have "different beliefs" than we do.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @valerieelizabet's TikTok video
@valerieelizabet/TikTok

Teacher Reveals The Hilariously Familiar Way Kids Are Getting Around School Phone Bans

No matter what's being banned, or the reasons why it's being banned, kids will always find a way to access what they want.

What's funny is that teens in 2025 are now creating hacks to communicate with each other that will feel very nostalgic to Millennials.

Keep ReadingShow less