Why Your DNA May Soon Decide Your Destiny

by Robert Jennings, InnerSelf.com

Dalton Conley, a sociologist with a rebel streak, calls it the FICO score of human biology. Polygenic scores—or polygenic indices—add up tiny variations in your DNA to generate a number that predicts traits like how far you’ll go in school, how much money you’ll earn, or even how neurotic you might be. What once sounded like speculative science fiction is now a marketable service with real-world implications.

While the potential misuse of polygenic scores is a valid concern, it’s important to note that these scores also hold promise for positive applications. For instance, they could be used to identify individuals who may benefit from early interventions or personalized treatments, potentially improving health outcomes. However, these benefits must be weighed against the risks of discrimination and inequality.

Nature vs. Nurture?

For over a century, scientists have waged a philosophical tug-of-war between nature and nurture, as if one held the key to our destiny while the other merely watched from the sidelines. But Dalton Conley pulls the curtain back on this false dichotomy. His work reveals a more dynamic—and frankly, more unsettling—reality: our genes don’t act alone, nor are they passive passengers in a chaotic world. They are like complex, adaptive algorithms—more akin to artificial intelligence than clockwork.

They wait, observe, and then respond to environmental cues. Genes require data from our lived experiences to express themselves fully, which means your DNA isn’t dictating your life from birth—it's collaborating with your surroundings to shape it. So when people insist they pulled themselves up by their bootstraps, we have to ask: were their boots handed to them by their environment? Because genetic "talent" doesn’t show up without the proper spotlight.

Take education as an example. Suppose you’re born with a high polygenic score for academic ability. In that case, it won’t get you far if your school library is a supply closet and your Wi-Fi cuts out during every lesson. But those genetic traits may bloom if you grow up surrounded by books, supportive teachers, and high-speed internet. Conley argues that the real power lies in the match—or mismatch—between genes and environments. In that sense, genes are shockingly egalitarian. They’re distributed randomly, disregarding race, income, or zip code. But environments? They are anything but fair. Some kids get music lessons and AP courses; others get lead pipes and police sirens. It’s not that the polygenic scores don’t matter—it’s that society decides whether they’re allowed to matter.

Sorting Ourselves into Genetic Silos

We’re already starting to choose spouses, friends, and neighborhoods based on genetic similarity—without even realizing it. Conley’s research finds that married couples are as genetically alike as second cousins. When it comes to education-related genes, we’re more like first cousins. For height? Half-siblings. In the land of dating apps and genetic data, choice becomes optimization—and that optimization can rapidly turn into segregation.

This kind of genetic sorting isn’t harmless. It’s a slow-motion social bomb, reinforcing inequality and concentrating genetic traits in certain regions, schools, and families. Think inequality today is bad? Add DNA into the mix, and it’s a powder keg. Genetic segregation could lead to a society where opportunities and resources are disproportionately distributed based on genetic potential, exacerbating existing social disparities.

2020, the first baby was born after being selected using polygenic screening. Let that sink in. Parents didn’t just pick the sex of their baby—they picked which embryo had the best-predicted scores for traits like intelligence or health. Fertility clinics in the U.S. already offer this service. It's legal. It's unregulated. And it’s growing.

France doesn't even allow sex selection. Meanwhile, America is pioneering a new frontier where baby-making meets data science. Is this empowerment? Or eugenics 2.0 with a tech startup glow? Either way, it’s here—and we haven’t even started the national conversation.

Insurance, Education, and Genetic Redlining

What happens when your genetic score becomes another data point in the algorithms that determine your premiums, eligibility, or access to essential services? This isn’t science fiction—it’s what happens when capitalism meets cutting-edge genetics. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), passed in 2008, was meant to be a firewall against genetic bias. But it’s a narrow wall. It only covers health insurance and employment.

That means your polygenic index—your DNA-based risk score—can still be legally used by life insurance companies, auto insurers, and even educational institutions. Want long-term care insurance? I hope your genome doesn’t suggest a future of dementia or chronic illness. Want to pay less for car insurance? You might be flagged for a gene variant tied to risk-taking behavior. The tech can make these predictions, and the profit motive ensures it will be used—unless we step in with meaningful regulation.

Conley sounds the alarm about what economists call adverse selection, but in this case, it’s driven by your genome. Suppose individuals can access their genetic scores, but insurance companies can’t use that information to adjust pricing. In that case, it sets up a dangerous imbalance. People with high-risk genetic profiles will be more likely to buy insurance, anticipating future problems. At the same time, those with “safer” genomes may opt-out. This tips the scales, jacking up premiums and eventually destabilizing the market. It’s a feedback loop that leads to what Conley calls a “death spiral.” In this scenario, it’s not just the system failing a few people—it’s self-destructing under the weight of its own inequality. And the most chilling part? It’s not a bug. It’s a feature of unregulated bio-capitalism.

The Whitest Science on Earth

Polygenic scores mostly work for one group—white people of European ancestry. Nearly all the genetic datasets used to train these models come from Europe, North America, and other majority-white nations. That means these predictions are accurate for some and junk science for everyone else.

If we don’t correct this imbalance, we’re heading toward a society where white people benefit from early interventions—like cardiovascular treatment or educational enrichment—while others are left out. The so-called revolution in genomic science might just widen the racial health gap and deepen global inequity.

Despite all this, Conley offers a glimmer of hope. Genes don’t stop at your skin. Their impact depends on context. That means we still have control over outcomes—if we focus on building better environments. Think of it this way: myopia is highly heritable, yet we solved it with eyeglasses. We didn’t throw up our hands and say, “Well, you’re doomed to be blind.”

Education, healthcare, and even neighborhood investment can still change lives because those interventions create environments where genes either wither or thrive. But time is running out. If we don’t regulate this fast-moving technology, the polygenic train will leave the station—and it might not stop for every one.

Let’s Talk Before It’s Too Late

Dalton Conley’s work isn’t just a wake-up call—it’s a blaring alarm in a society sleepwalking into a genetically engineered future. While political discourse remains trapped in the culture war theater and yesterday’s scandals, a quiet revolution is unfolding in our labs, clinics, and, yes, even on dating apps. Genetic prediction has moved from the scientific fringe to the center of how we may soon evaluate potential, worth, and opportunity.

These polygenic scores—distilled numbers pulled from your DNA—aren’t just medical tools; they’re fast becoming instruments of social sorting. And like any powerful technology throughout history—from the printing press to nuclear energy—their impact depends entirely on who holds the controls and for what purpose. Will these tools be harnessed to level the playing field through early intervention and social investment? Or will they serve as a new currency of privilege, further entrenching inequality under the guise of scientific objectivity? The future of freedom and fairness may hinge on that decision—one we can no longer afford to ignore.

About the Author

Robert Jennings is the co-publisher of InnerSelf.com, a platform dedicated to empowering individuals and fostering a more connected, equitable world. A veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Army, Robert draws on his diverse life experiences, from working in real estate and construction to building InnerSelf with his wife, Marie T. Russell, to bring a practical, grounded perspective to life’s challenges. Founded in 1996, InnerSelf.com shares insights to help people make informed, meaningful choices for themselves and the planet. More than 30 years later, InnerSelf continues to inspire clarity and empowerment.

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This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 License. Attribute the author Robert Jennings, InnerSelf.com. Link back to the article This article originally appeared on InnerSelf.com

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Article Recap

Polygenic scores and genetic prediction are reshaping how society understands success, intelligence, and inequality. Dalton Conley's work reveals a fast-approaching future where your DNA could influence where you live, who you love, and how society treats you. But the interaction between genes and environment still leaves room for policy to act—if we move quickly.

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