Talk:Bending arts/@comment-201.42.190.193-20120318125254/@comment-4888161-20120409055613

Just because a gene runs in your family doesn't mean you have to inheret it. Actually, the gene inheretance can be just as erradic as bending inheretance. The behaviors are similar.

Now that doesn't mean it's strictly a gene. But if your lineage is from a certain country, that would mean that the genetics of being from that country would half to be involved somehow in determing which element you would have a chance to become a bender of. Again this is not as a primary factor, but more as determining for which element(s) you have a chance to inheret. That chance isn't gene related, but what elements it could be is because it goes back to the different racial DNA that would be in each country. I personally can't see how it wouldn't be involved in that way, because being born to a fire nation family ties you to fire and not water. Even if your bending has a lot from waterbending styles in it, you would still be a firebender.

Now there are many different theories on this. The truth is we will never know because they said they'd prefer it to be a mystery. But logic based off what we've seen, what we know, and common sense tells us they are both involved in the process in some way. That they are both involved in a process we will never fully understand and will never be anything more than speculation.