Researchers believe they know what makes a Victor Meldrew. The curmudgeonly pessimist from One Foot In The Grave was formed both by his genes and by key childhood experiences up to the age of 10.
The gene that secretes serotonin, a chemical in the brain that influences psychological traits, could explain why some people are optimists and others pessimists, according to researchers at the University of Pittsburgh.
Researchers have found that people who inherit one long and one short version of the gene tend to be less optimistic than those with two the same. Studies of twins show that people with the same genetic make-up frequently have the same optimism levels.
The origins of this are prehistoric, according to Lionel Tiger, professor of anthropology at…