![]() We have variations in genes that build our taste bud receptors. These people-my people-are called supertasters. Researchers have found that about 25 percent of people might hate broccoli for the same reason I do. I wasn’t choosing to hate these vegetables, so I set out to learn what could explain my aversion. I am green with envy watching people willingly eat things like broccoli, because if someone tries to pass it to me, my body recoils in horror. But after being grilled at one too many cookouts as to why I don’t like many of the vegetables that most people find enjoyable, I felt like something was wrong with me. To suggest that we are just meat robots under the influence of unseen forces is crazy talk! Intuitively, it feels like we pick and choose the foods we like, who we give our heart to, or which buttons we press in the voting booth. We’re taught that we can be whatever we want to be, do whatever we want to do. Our behaviors and preferences are profoundly influenced by our genetic makeup, by factors in our environment that affect our genes, and by other genes forced into our systems by the innumerable microbes that dwell inside us. As I dug into the scientific literature, I hit upon this astonishing and unsettling truth: Our actions are governed by hidden biological forces-which is to say that we have little or no control over our personal tastes. ![]() These studies made me wonder if there are other things happening under our radar that could be shaping who we are, programming our likes and dislikes. It can make rats unafraid of cats, and some studies show that it may cause personality changes (such as increased anxiety) in humans. gondii parasite can change the behavior of the host it infects. In my research at the Indiana University School of Medicine, I observed how the single-celled T. Then I became acquainted with Toxoplasma gondii. ![]() So it made sense to me that my likes and dislikes were formed through careful deliberation and rational decision-making-that is, through choices where I wielded some control. Whether in food, wine, romantic partners, or political candidates, our tastes represent our identity. There may be nothing more self-defining than our tastes. Continued abuse of our services will cause your IP address to be blocked indefinitely.This story appears in the September 2019 issue of National Geographic magazine. Please fill out the CAPTCHA below and then click the button to indicate that you agree to these terms. If you wish to be unblocked, you must agree that you will take immediate steps to rectify this issue. If you do not understand what is causing this behavior, please contact us here. If you promise to stop (by clicking the Agree button below), we'll unblock your connection for now, but we will immediately re-block it if we detect additional bad behavior.
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