Genotype - Phenotype

Genotype and phenotype are fundamental concepts in genetics.

Genotype is the complete set of genetic instructions an individual inherits from their parents. It includes “ALL” the genes they carry. But just because someone has genes for a few different traits doesn’t mean they’ll show up; it depends on which genes are stronger or "dominant”.

So, while a person might have genes for both brown and blue eyes, they’ll only have brown eyes if the brown-eye gene is dominant. Genotype is all about what’s inside, even if it’s not always visible on the outside.

Phenotype, on the other hand, is the observable expression of these genetic instructions. It includes the traits we can see—those that are actually expressed, like brown eyes in the example above.

Often, who we are on the inside and what we express on the outside don’t fully align. In fact, this happens more frequently than we realize and often beyond our conscious control. We may feel one way inside yet show something different to the world, leaving us in a tug-of-war between our inner beliefs and our outward expression.

There’s a well-known story of a tribal chief who tells his people, 'In my mind, two dogs are always fighting.' When someone asks, 'Which one wins?' he replies, 'The one I choose to feed.

The battle is, therefore, always within.

In the story of the Mahabharata, the battle of Kurukshetra symbolizes the inner struggle in each of us. In this 'kingdom of the self,' forces of good (the Pandavas) and evil (the Kauravas) are in constant conflict.

Every person must face their own Kurukshetra—a symbolic war that, sooner or later, must be won.