23 and h.

Weird to think that there’s so much information in saliva.

I think I’m scared. Here I have this 23andme DNA kit ready to go. This DNA kit would give me answers about predisposition to disease and also where I come from, pretty exactly.

32 years later and finally, I have the opportunity. But I’m right in the middle tendency I-don’t-want-to-know right now.

For disease we’re now pretty sure that genetics play a small role in the life of an individual compared to his/her environment which tells much more, as Dr House knows it.

And for knowing from where I come from… I’m scared it’s going to change me. Not knowing this fact was the first playground for my imagination when I was a kid. Where do I come from… Awesome I can be whatever I want! Let’s say my grand grand grand-father was a pharaoh and then my mom was from the US OK? Or maybe an alien, a black Super Saiyan. Yeah sounded good.

I’m scared the results would give me a sense of affiliation that is just not relevant to my life. From the beginning until now I feel that this reduced sense of affiliation gave me an advantage, I get to see the big picture much faster and clearer.

Let’s take an example with a situation where people feel a need for affiliation: 9/11. Now across the world, some people said it was horrible and some people felt that it was right. Some people created conspiracy theories and some others, like me, are like “this shit is not so tight”. There’s no feeling, just no definitive answer.  Now if I was affiliated to a part of this world let’s say, Egypt or Tunisia, that would probably make my blood turn differently and affect my thoughts.

Another example, when I was a kid and would receive a French ”son of whore” insult. In my mind it was like “well, it’s technically totally possible that it is the case”. I was already “above” these primitive concepts of insults, it very soon in my life felt like afraid puppies barking at me or each others. Directly in the position of looking at a system instead of being involved in it. The big picture. Often in my face.

It’s great to be “out” of this sense of affiliation, by design. It’s great to not be like well, most of you. Now I need to exploit that shit.