Genotype–phenotype correlations with personality traits of healthcare professionals: a new use for the Human Genome Project

To the Editor: I was impressed by the article on the seven deadly genes in a recent issue of the Journal.1

Your readers may also be interested to learn that we have recently discovered an entire family of antisocial recessive genes in colleagues and patients. 2 These include the stalk-r gene (not only in patients who stalk doctors, but also in doctors who molest their patients3) and the hum-r gene for socially inappropriate comicality, which clearly invites correlation with the dub (formerly cyn) gene for cynicism and medical humour.1

I cordially wish Fitzgerald and Isaacs the Best of British (and Irish) luck with the lofty ambitions expressed in the penultimate paragraph of their discussion; and, together with Arthur Koestler, we speculate that "in lieu of abolishing language the only way to curb human destructiveness would be to retool the brain", and that "advances in genetic engineering might encourage evolution along its path".4