Is dysfunctional behavior learned or is it genetic?

Question

Is dysfunctional behavior learned or is it genetic?

Answer 1

Personally I think it is a choice.  The person who is choosing this type of behavior is reacting to something that caused severe rejection in his/her life.  When a person runs with rejection they climb into a pit of self-pity and entertain all the negative thoughts feelings and emotions that go with rejection namely, (appearing) uncaring, yet feeling unworthy, hopeless, abandoned, isolated, manipulative, controlling, yet fearing and anxious, hating, bitter, revengeful, murderous, yet, suicidal thoughts are there and even death wishes. The key demon is rebelliousness and stubbornness and these are accompanied by other things as well. With rebellious and stubbornness together with hate and revenge etc they abandon themselves to whatever fate awaits them. Their hate drives them to become destructive, steal, murder whatever.

We humans have one freedom in life and that is the freedom of choice.  We can either choose to be negative and allow all the negative feelings , emotions and thoughts to deceive us into believing their lies or we can choose to be positive.  We can choose good or bad, white or black, red or green, right or wrong.  What ever we choose has a consequence attached to it. Negative draws more negative towards it, as does positive draw more positive towards it. Negative becomes destructive and positive becomes constructive.

The dysfunctional person is acting out of hurt.  Hurt people hurt other people! They build up walls instead of building bridges.  Inside the walls is one very scared blob of jelly!  One needs to reach out to people like this and be patient with them and get them to trust one enough to open up to one. They need to be understood and led away from the negative things they listen to and shown the truth and the right way. When a dysfunctional person comes right and changes and even finds God, he has one incredible testimony to tell.  He has learned where the rubber meets the road.  God will use all the ashes and turn it into beauty if the person will yield to Him.  If he does, he makes one of the best Pastors you could ever find, because he learns to have a true heart for people.  He understands them better than most people do. All he has to do is choose to either run a path that will self-destruct or to choose a life that is constructive.  I don't think genes have anything to do with dysfunctional behaviour - its just what people choose to run with as a result of whatever harmed them.

Answer 2

It is both learned and genetic... but, I think it even goes beyond that. I think we have been "altered" and "poisoned" to some extent by all the additives in our food and water, and by all the poisons we ingest through the air and the soil. You can't tell me we haven't been affected by all that c**p! Look at all the problems children are being born with these days. It affects our bodies and minds in every way imaginable. Each generation seems to suffer more and more problems. Explain that! I'm convinced we've been poisoned over generations of time. Oh, and let's not forget all the meds people are on! Did you know that that's one thing, among many others, they can't get completely out of our water supply? They're all contributing factors to all kinds of problems we're seeing and experiencing these days.

Answer 3

Dysfunctional behaviour is learned from poor role-models. However, on the bright side, behaviour that is learned, can be unlearned. It takes a lot of willpower though.

Answer 4

both

Answer 5

genetic i think