Many of us have a tendency to look at others and only see the things we’re jealous of. Wow, she has the most amazing hair! And his calves look like they were chiseled in stone. But it’s important to remember that everyone has some special features that make them unique. And you just might be the object of someone else’s envy!
Redditors have recently been revealing the ways in which they’ve won the genetic lottery, from having long, luscious eyelashes to being blessed with three kidneys. So enjoy scrolling through these replies about their rare traits, and be sure to upvote the ones you wish you had inherited as well!
#1
I can see colors that others apparently cannot see.
This came to be known because I see the place in clothes where the weaving has changed threads and the dye lot is different. I notice where embroidered items use different shades of thread because they ran out of the first shade and most people don’t even notice.
I can tell in wallpaper, paint on the wall, even on cars or furniture. I can tell the colors of green in the sky caused by the tint in your side windows vs the pink from the front windshield tint, and they are different. It drives me nuts at times.
On those “color tests” online, what you see as “40” colors, I can see where they begin the gradations to slowly shift to the next color and fool you, so there are hundreds of colors there in the “test”.
But the bonus! I can also remember colors, so I can perfectly match paint colors to fabrics from memory, or buy a shirt to match a pair of slacks in exactly the right color without having them next to each other.
And since I am an artist, I can easily mix paints up to get exact color I’m after, no sweat.
Comes in handy.
#2
All the women in my family live past 100, going back at least 5 generations. We tell our first husbands that they’re our FIRST husband’s because, well.. it’s understood that we’ll carry on well after they’re gone. No one had dementia at the end, either. Sharp as a track and built to last.
#3
I am a homozygous carrier of the CCR5 Delta32 mutation.
I lack the receptors that HIV uses to infect people, so I am VERY HIGHLY resistant, possibly even immune.
It’s a mutation you see in people with Northern European ancestry. I get one mutation from each of my parents. I AM THRILLED to have it because from what I can gather (and I am not a scientist) that gene is the key to stopping HIV and AIDS. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area so the AIDS epidemic was a huge deal here.
So, scientists, if you need blood, bone marrow or WHATEVER for studies or who knows what, I’m O-, CMV-, and have the CCR5 Delta32 mutation.
I would be THRILLED to be involved in anything that helps save lives.
#4
I have very dense bones…?
I found that out when I had to have a hip replacement. When my doctor told me I have above-average density to my bones I said, “OH! So I really AM big-boned!”
He turned and looked at me and flatly said, “Yes, but you’re fat, too.”
He couldn’t let me have that for just five seconds…. LMAO.
#5
3 fully functional kidneys.
rorscachsraven:
I was born with only 1 so you must have had my spare 😂😂
#6
I’m Black and Japanese. I’m 48 but look like I’m in my 30s. I moved away from my home town, but everytime I run into someone I went to high school with, I can feel their eyes on me and I legit get a little guilty.
My dad is 72 and looks barely 50. We both are still pretty athletic and active.
I tell people that between my two races, I’m gonna look like I’m 34 until I’m 62, and then suddenly overnight I’m gonna look 105.
#7
I can draw near photographic portraits of people with a pencil. I didn’t know until I was a teenager, and it was a school assignment, and I just, did a great job, and was shocked, I had no idea I could do that.
Then I went to show my grandma how proud I was, looked at the art on her walls, and realized I inherited it.
#8
I have NO leg hair. Or arm hair. Literally NONE. I haven’t had to shave in 26 years.
Feels nice sometimes, ngl.
#9
My teeth are perfectly straight. No one believes that I never had braces. I’ve also never had a cavity or any other dental work.
#10
I have some pretty s****y genes but I have double eyelashes which is so pretty and I’ve passed it to my kids (my son’s look like they have eyelash extensions!)
I also have natural ginger hair and blue eyes which is the rarest combination and that feel pretty special.
#11
I don’t get hangovers. I get drunk as ANY Irishman, but the next day, I’m fine. I also have stupid good vitals for a fat dude. No excess cholesterol, not pre diabetic, good heart and blood pressure, but I look like Hagrid. *shrug*.
#12
Everyone in my immediate family is very intelligent.
All outshined by my little brother though. He’s one of those weird super genius kids. Taught himself to read and write at about 2 years old and now he does programming and 3D modelling at 11.
I’m nearly 26 and he’s about as good at maths as me now. Who knows how far he’ll go.
#13
I’m white but I have inherited the gene that causes dry ear wax and non smelly sweat. This genotype is more common in East Asia and quite rare in Europe. I am ethnically Finnish so I wonder if it’s some distant Siberian ancestor influence.
#14
I have tetrachromacy. It’s rare in women and incredibly rare in men, especially to this degree. It means I have a fourth colour cone, allowing me to see colours outside the usual spectrum (normal is 1 million, I see upwards of 100 million).
Describing and categorising colour is hard, so over the years, I’ve named them by the feelings I associate with them for whenever people ask me. They seem to understand a lot better when I tell them the feelings associated, almost like they can see it without seeing it.
Tips of wet grass blades when the sun rises, mineral-rich rocks underneath a light stream, retroreflective animal eyes, my budgie’s wet glistening feathers; all have a unique colour and I’ve tried my very best to categorise them!
While I count myself very lucky, it can be quite isolating. I’ve met one other person who sees like me via a study years ago, but we went our separate ways. Almost nobody sees the world as I do, and it sucks sometimes. At least I can describe it somewhat through feelings, though!
#15
My immune system kicks butt.
I am a kindergarten teacher. Kindies are renowned for being adorable and efficient little vectors of all kinds of disgusting contagion.
In the past 11 years I have taken only ONE sick day because I was actually sick.
#16
Don’t have any reaction to mosquito bites.
Probably never going bald.
#17
Excellent sleep.
Everyone in my family has this.
Usually falling asleep does take less than 5 min and we can all fall asleep basically wherever/whenever we want to (and easily get up).
#18
All of my mom’s siblings lived into their late 90’s and beyond. Unfortunately my mom, who was the baby, got Parkinson’s and we lost her at 65. But so far I and all my siblings are still here and not doing half bad for being 76, 73, 71 and 69. We are not overweight and still have all our mental faculties. We are also pretty short on wrinkles and we are all still active and doing things. My husband and I are even building a house from the ground up by ourselves. He’s 73.
#19
I’m thin without making any effort. Have been this way my whole life. I’m 50 now and I still wear the same size I did in my 20s.
#20
My hair is extremely thick and somehow stays healthy no matter how much u dye it and it grows pretty fast too.
belleandbent:
Us too. Thick and luxurious. My mom is 72 with long, thick, black hair. Maybe a few grays here and there.
#21
I write songs and can learn to play almost any instrument pretty quickly. And it’s mainly me and my dad. Musicality is off the charts for both of us.
#22
I was born in America with a disability that counts as *just* debilitating enough to qualify for great government funded health insurance, but isn’t so debilitating I’m constantly suffering.
That’s winning the genetic lottery in America.
#23
I have shite genetics, but my eyes are so blue that people ask if I’m wearing colored contacts a lot. I’ll take that for a win!
#24
My period is so regular I know exactly when it’s coming. It only lasts 3 days. No cramping ever and not an overly heavy flow. I might be the only person in the world to say “I like getting my period” .
#25
I have Gilbert’s syndrome, my liver doesn’t process a certain waste product as quickly as it should (bilirubin is always a little high). That sounds bad, but apparently it’s a strong antioxidant, so having extra bilirubin around all the time apparently gives me extra protection against many cancers and heart disease.
#26
My hair is almost all still brown in my 70s.
g-a-r-n-e-t:
My grandpa on my dad’s side still had a full head of shoe-polish black hair in his 90s. He had only just started going salt and pepper when he died at 96.
This would be a GREAT genetic lottery win except for the part where he’s not my biological grandpa. I took after my mom’s side and started greying at 17. My poor dad went full Picard at the ripe old age of 21.
#27
The most basic kind of a genetic lottery win— it’s unfortunate that this is still considered a win in 2025 but I was privileged to be born to well educated, upper middle class, white, atheist, happily married parents as a planned baby and to have turned out conventionally attractive, intelligent and creative. For most of my life I was also slender with an hourglass figure. I still have an hourglass figure but have put on weight due to age & medication in my old age. My parents were also financially savvy and started savings and credit accounts for myself and my brother when we were children so we’d have a positive head start in those areas. We were also well traveled children and exposed to the arts from a young age. I am acutely aware that my privileged upbringing contributed a lot to the success I enjoy in life today.
#28
I can be well-rested with only 4-5 hours of sleep every night and I can stay up for 48 hours straight (rare instances) if needed with no noticeable cognitive impairment.
#29
I’m one of 7 children in my family. There is no record of anyone on either parent’s side having cancer. My paternal grandmother loved to be 101. My dad is 92 and still rides a motorcycle and flies drones. Blessed with great health.
#30
My taste and texture sensitivity means I can taste minute differences in ingredients and seasonings. I can tell which water has a higher PH if you places two glasses of iced water in front of me.
It’s not a cool skill, but maybe I could have been a poison tester or something. Idk.
#31
Huge bladder (or just dull stretch receptors). Road trip champion!
thesquishsquash:
Eyyy same here! My parents dubbed me “bladder of steel” as a kid because I wouldn’t need to use the bathroom on long flights 💀
#32
I have Absolute Pitch, which is the ability to identify or re-create a given musical note without the benefit of a reference tone.
I am not a musician so I am wasting it away
Edit: I am not a career musician, I did play the violin for 13 years or so but stopped around the time I finished high school and never picked up again.
#33
I got central heterochromic eyes! Green on the outside, hazel on the inside.
My hair is thin, but i have a lot of it, so styling is easy(ish).
I have really pale skin, so my tattoos pop up really well.
#34
I don’t get bitten by mosquitoes, like ever. I’ll be outside in summer and never have any issues, but my daughter will constantly get bites.
#35
I have golden ‘strawberry blonde’ hair! The exact same shade of gold as my Golden Retriever; if I lay my hair on top of his fur, you can’t tell the difference. My hair is mostly pale blonde with occasional pieces of coppery red. ChatGPT says that’s the rarest hair color (~0.01–0.08% prevalence), except for pure white hair (Albino).
#36
Apparently I have enough room in my mouth that I can keep my wisdom teeth.
#37
My brothers & I can all wiggle our noses. (Like on Bewitched). We got that from our Dad. We use it to say “love you” whenever the fancy strikes.
I feel the need to say that my real “genetic lottery win” is my brothers who show me affection in this small way.
#38
Beautiful eyes. The rest is slowly going to s**t, except my sense of humour.
#39
I’ll talk about my wife. She’s Native American so she has the most silky smooth golden brown skin imaginable. And she has that “line” in her thigh naturally making her legs the best asset. Pair that with her naturally straight dark hair and dark eyes and it’s a total package. After almost 20 years together and in our mid-40’s she’s still got it all the way. She doesn’t have to work on her physique at all, it’s just naturally good.
I’m very average guy but I did get blessed in a key area.
#40
I don’t need glasses.
#41
I do not get alcohol flush AND I can drink whole milk as an Asian. My closest relatives are lactose intolerant and get alcohol flush, so I think I beat the odds there.
#42
My grandmothers and great grandmothers have all lived into their late 90s, living independently until their mid 90s.
#43
Fast growing hair and nails. Considering the rest of my body/health seems to be a genetic dumpster fire, I’m convinced my hair and nails use up all the energy like vampires.
#44
I was born without wisdom teeth.
#45
Both parents were s**t in a multitude of ways but they were both good looking, and passed that down. Wasn’t always fun growing up with a “hot” mom. Friends said things that p**s me off to this day. I can remember my mom being catcalled while I was right there with her. My dad is 64 and still has his teenage hairline. I’m 38 and haven’t started thinning at all, so I should be good.
But aside from occasionally checking to see if they’re still alive, I have very little to say to either of them. Thanks for the face, though!
#46
No matter how much I weigh, I always seem to maintain an hourglass figure.
#47
I have a 120% lung capacity and my legs go numb when I’m sprinting so only feel tired when I stop. Makes me a h3ll of a runner tho.
#48
Red hair, not allergic to anything and even though my family history is filled with alcoholism I rarely drink and have never had any major illnesses (mid 50s).
#49
I’m very proud of my singing voice.
#50
I have clear skin. I don’t get pimples often.
#51
Well my parents gave my siblings and me some great skin and lethal face cards however they also passed down some awesome mental illnesses and other health issues. But I’m hot so I guess you just gotta take the good with the bad.
#52
I have no reaction to mosquito bites or poison ivy. No clue why. Also, according to 23 and me, I’m genetically resistant to Norovirus, which would explain why literally everyone in my college dorm got it but me. I’m pretty sure my mom is too, as she was a kindergarten teacher and was often exposed to it (a crazy amount of people send their kids who are vomiting to school), and she never got it.
#53
I have an epic beard and am freakishly strong. I guess the two go together when I’m cutting wood or doing other manly things.
#54
My hair is brown, but my beard is red! I feel like that’s pretty cool.
#55
I have really large, fleshy earlobes. Big enough that they will noticeably flap in a stiff breeze.
If I ever get in a bad wreck I’ll have plenty of extra skin for grafts, or I could put like dinner plate-sized plugs in my ears.
Even better is that the older I get the more expansive they get, so yeah I hit the genetic lottery there.
#56
Uh my reaction time is really good according to human benchmark less than half of that of the average human. Not very useful but kind of cool I guess?
#57
My legs are toned and muscular as hell. I always wear short skirts and dresses because my legs are my best feature by far. I rarely work out, but I have the legs/calves of a ballet dancer combined with a long distance runner/cyclist. I regularly get compliments on them and it makes me feel so good!
#58
I still get carded for buying alcohol and am 40 lol, usually get a comment about that when they see the year. I’ll take that for as long as it lasts.
#59
Longer than normal arms. In PE we had to touch our toes. Easiest “test” ever. I could put my palms flat to the ground and bend my elbows a bit. I am now old and out of shape. I can still touch my toes.
#60
I have the t**s, lips and cheekbones of a woman half my age. I believe the lips are called bee stung, I also have golden eyes, they’re a mixture of green and amber. Both of my parents were very young looking and at 37 I was still being asked for proof of age for age restricted items. My dad’s family have all lived to 80+, whilst my dad’s health declined rapidly in the 6m before him dying, at 81 he was still playing football in the back garden with the grandchildren.
#61
Naturally thin. I have a twin sister (fraternal) who doesn’t have this trait and it’s so sad to watch her constantly dieting and struggling with body image issues.
#62
I’ve got thick black eyelashes and eyebrows. I don’t look particularly washed out without makeup and I don’t need to get tints done or anything.
#63
I’m a male model and look nothing like my parents, so my friends tell me I won the genetic lottery.
I was also born without a functioning colon though (they don’t know about that part), so I suppose nature has a way of balancing things out. 🤷♂️.
#64
I stay fit super easy, I live a healthy life and exercise often but particularly if I want to strength train, I gain significant size and definition within a few weeks. My army buddies said I just had to walk past the gym and I’d bulk 😆.
#65
All the women in my family have had multiple babies and even twins and we all ‘bounce back’ from pregnancy.
#66
I don’t sweat.
Very minimal body odor. In difficult times (bedbound), I’ve gone over a week without showering at all, no odours.
Very minimal body hair. I don’t even have anything to shave when pregnant.
I also have the thickest hair you’ve ever seen on a white woman. Stylists always call all their colleagues over to ooh and ahh at it. “3x more hairs per square inch” and “each strand is 3x thicker” compared to an average young adult client, I’ve been told. I’m not one to faff about with my appearance, so I’m not too thrilled, but others think I’ve hit the jackpot!
#67
My blood type is AB negative, the rarest type. I’m a highly-valued blood donor!
#68
My hair and skin are always so soft with no effort. I always have green eyes.
Wash with whatever kind of shampoo and whatever kind of body wash and go.
No conditioner. No lotion.
And with my hair being very fine and straight I don’t have to really do anything with it. Don’t curl or frizz or anything.
Downside is it won’t hold a curl and trying to do an up-do hairstyle needs a pack of Bobby pins and enough hairspray for its own hole in the ozone layer.
And downside to light colored eyes is even on a gray overcast day my eyes hurt outdoors. Sunny days really suck if I don’t have sunglasses.
#69
I got big breasts and nice long, thick hair.
#70
I have been complimented on how big and doll-like my eyes are, how healthy, long and soft my hair is and I have a beauty mark right under my right eye.
#71
I apparently stopped aging right after high school.
#72
No big but I was surprised to learn that green eyes are the rarest or nearly the rarest eye color. I have them and so does my son.
#73
I feel I got the worst genetic lottery possible lol…but I will say, I am quite tall at 6′ 6″. If that counts haha.
I like to think I am smart too, but sometimes I don’t feel that way.
#74
Blonde and blue eyed.
That’s enough of a lottery in the western world.
#75
As a woman, I haven’t worked out in years but I can easy knock out some push ups and pull ups. I have a naturally athletic build.
#76
I have perfectly shaped eyebrows that never need plucking/threading.
#77
I’ve already survived ovarian cancer at 18 and breast cancer runs heavily in the family (no know genetic markers though) so, we definitely have some subpar genetics…
But I’m now 41 and:
Never needed braces-
Have 20/20 vision –
Only had 1 cavity my entire life –
As a 40 something female: 38D, 30 inch waist, 38 inch hips. Been a comparable ratio (just smaller versions) all my life. –
Both grandmas lived into their 90s and grandpas into their late 80s.
#78
I don’t have a single wrinkle at 37 and I’ve never had any type of facial treatments.
#79
I have great skin and zero cellulite. My dermatologist told me my skin looks 20-30 years younger than it is, unsolicited.Really made my day. I take exemplary care of it and my health to keep it this way.
#80
I have virtually no body hair/body odor.
this isn’t exactly a typical genetic lottery in my family, nobody else does. I’ve done a bit of research on people who are along with some self reflection, and a lot of things (such as the above) would point to me being intersex.
I’m not entirely certain that I am, just that there’s signs and it could explain a lot. I don’t want to pay for tests to prove it since the knowledge isn’t worth the cost to me right now. regardless, the bit about me lacking most body hair and odor is very much true, so I’m unique compared to most people and even members of my family.
#81
Me, my mom and my sister look 10 years younger than we are. Several people have told me they hate me for it.
#82
I have nice fingernails and toe nails and a decent nose. Got those from my mom. No hereditary illness, except Diabetes lurks in the shadows.
#83
Despite being more autistic than both of my parents (which are pretty autistic to begin with) it has come with me being pretty quick to learn things.
I consider them to be smart overall but they’ve always told me I seem to know more than them when it comes purely to facts
I also got extremely muscular and shapely legs for some reason,it’s weird since I don’t do leg workouts or anything of the sort that could cause it.
#84
I am a pear shape, got wide hips, I hope that will help delivering my baby easier. Expecting this summer!
#85
My nose is completely different from my family, and it’s great, a cute Disney princess nose. Many people have said they liked it, and it felt weird each time.
#86
2 wisdom teeth instead of 4.