The mysteries of individual lives...

I found this very interesting because these are monozygotic twins.

My feeble conclusion(!): There are no easy answers, or maybe: There are no answers. AT ALL.

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Molecular Psychiatry , (29 May 2012) | doi:10.1038/mp.2012.55
The road not taken: life experiences in monozygotic twin pairs discordant for major depression
K S Kendler and L J Halberstadt
Abstract
In an effort to understand how environmental experiences contribute to risk for major depression (MD), we conducted joint autobiographical interviews with 14 pairs of monozygotic twins (mean age 51.2) rigorously discordant for a lifetime history of MD. Twelve of the pairs could be sorted into four broad categories. In two pairs, discordance was associated with a single traumatic event occurring to the affected twin. In seven pairs, the well twin had one stable, long-term, successful romantic relationship, whereas the affected co-twin had romantic reversals one or more of which precipitated depressive episodes. These pairs varied in the degree to which the romantic problems seemed to arise from bad luck or poor choices. In one pair, occupational difficulties were strongly related to discordance in experiences with MD. In two pairs, several mechanisms seemed to be at work. Discordance in the quality of intimate love relationships was the most common etiological factor revealed by interview in these discordant pairs, with single dramatic events and occupational problems being considerably rarer. Even in this best of natural experiments, the causal interrelationship between personality, environment and depressive episodes was not always clear. Many pairs illustrated the protective effects of planfulness and the malignant effect of cumulative continuity where early difficulties in relationships shaped the subsequent life course. These results speak both to the importance of environmental influences on human well-being and psychopathology, and the complexity of the causal paths underlying their effects.

caledonia wrote:I found this very interesting because these are monozygotic twins.

My feeble conclusion(!): There are no easy answers, or maybe: There are no answers. AT ALL.

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Even in this best of natural experiments, the causal interrelationship between personality, environment and depressive episodes was not always clear. Many pairs illustrated the protective effects of planfulness and the malignant effect of cumulative continuity where early difficulties in relationships shaped the subsequent life course. These results speak both to the importance of environmental influences on human well-being and psychopathology, and the complexity of the causal paths underlying their effects.

Interesting report!

The words I highlighted in bold reminds me of something I read by Bruce Lipton about the cell's basic existence is about moving toward nourishment and away from danger. Probably the twin who created or lucked into a more nourishing environment was depressed less often than the twin who found themselves in situations that required building defense mechanisms.

Yes, indeed, that is the mystery...as you say...

"Probably the twin who created or lucked into a more nourishing environment was depressed less often than the twin who found themselves in situations that required building defense mechanisms."

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=107995

http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/News/Media-office/Press-releases/2012/WTVM055447.htm

One more, and then no more of this...!!!

The life experiences of an organism's great grand parents affect it now...at least, that it what this study on mice shows.

Epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of altered stress responses

http://www.pnas.org/content/109/23/9143.full

caledonia wrote:One more, and then no more of this...!!!

The life experiences of an organism's great grand parents affect it now...at least, that it what this study on mice shows.

Epigenetic transgenerational inheritance of altered stress responses

http://www.pnas.org/content/109/23/9143.full

and why "no more of this..!!!" ???

Well, too technical, not of broad interest, too factual....the real world is depressing, FACTS are depressing...yes???

Who wants to be told they are, to a good approximation, an automaton?

On the other hand, maybe I should continue until told to discontinue!

https://www.modernhandreadingforum.com/t966-fate-genetics-and-free-will-environment

Read the above thread just now and it looks like that is where I should have posted...well, good reason to wind up this thread, then, and continue there.