I just read a bunch about chimeraism and microchimerism and organ transplants and a bunch of other stuff that got jumbled in my mind that I wanted to throw out there...
What if our personality traits aren't necessarily contained in the developed brain, but reside more so in our DNA? Microchimerism is when someone has the DNA of another person in their body and it lives there without conflict - the articles I read said it is different than an organ transplant BUT if the person ends up getting some of the blood mixed up in their body and goes elsewhere than it counts... It also happens to mothers and their unborn babies.
A Chimera is someone who has equal or nearly ammounts of differing DNA in their bodies, and can happen artificially when scientists do it in a dish, or when two fertalized eggs combine together and develop into one person. Most times it isn't discovered until the person has to have genetic tests, or if the different organs are obvious - such as two different colored eyes or having one ovary and one testical.
If the personality traits are contained in genetic markers in the DNA then perhaps this microchimerism might explain why some people have personality changes when they get organ transplants or have kids and some don't... if the blood that is mixed goes somewhere or does something that is important (yet to be discovered)...
I'm an INTJ based on this test:
http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp And I'm curious what others of you here are. On an asexual board I used to go to a lot, there were a lot of aspies and there were a lot of people there who also ended up being INTJ. (32% when typical in the population is in the single digits).
It's just a possible theory - anyone care to take the test?
I know I'm not presenting this very clearly - I'm not saying I have any conclusions I believe, I'm just looking at the information and wondering if there is a pattern.... right now there is chaos in the other room and I'm in a hurry to post before I run out... so I'm going to end this here.
Orbit.