Nature vs Nurture

People are born certain ways. They are born having characteristics of shyness, selfishness, intelligence, etc. However, our society contributes to the way that child is going to act in the long run. Our culture suggests that men are to be more strong, a protector, and shouldn’t cry. Women are supposed to be either the perky, bubbly, ditzy kind of girl or the shy doesn’t say as much woman. Not all men and women are like that initially when they are born though. I’d say about half of the people in our society aren’t acting the way they’d feel most comfortable with. Men feel that in order to be a real man they can’t be shy, or work at home, or even have fears. Women feel that they must act a certain way to be accepted, it’s getting a little bit better in the female society with women’s rights activists but there is still an underlying sense of women being out of place in the working field.

“Flanagan (2002) explored the Minnesota study in which a set of twins was raised separately. In one case, a set of identical twins was raised apart, known as the Jim twins. They did not meet until they were almost forty and had many similarities even though they were raised apart. ‘The Minnesota twin study concluded that on multiple measures of personality and temperament, occupational and leisure-time interests and social attitudes, mono-zygotic twins reared apart are about as similar as are mono-zygotic twins reared together’” (www.associatedcontent.com, The Childhood Development Nature vs Nurture Debate Continues, Friendly Teacher).

There are some things I believe all people are born with though, such as happiness and goodness. Nobody is born sad and nobody is born evil. Through personal experiences, one is going to either become sad or evil or stay good and happy. If someone is abused that could contribute to later sadness or depression. The same applies for those who were not disciplined as a child. Those who are not disciplined are more likely to become criminals, or get into other trouble with the law. I don’t think anyone has ever seen an evil baby. Most babies, if not all, are happy and will stay that way until their experiences alter their perspective in life.

Several years ago, scientists were fond of the idea that only one of the two options was an answer to the dilemma. In recent years, scientists have found that both play significant parts, they’re now deciding on which factor plays a more important role in how that child is going to turn out. Personally, I think environment determines how the person is going to act in later years, and genetics determines how the child is going to act in younger years. Personally, I think environment determines how the person is going to act in later years, and genetics determines how the child is going to act in younger years. When a child is young they don’t have the experiences and social pressures that an adult has and so they feel completely free to act as they wish. Whereas adults are expected to act the ways society presents them to act.

In conclusion, nature and nurturing both play significant roles in how a child is going to turn out. Depending on our experiences, our minds and roles will mature as will our thought processes. If we’re born shy and not taught to be out going we’ll be shy our whole lives. If we’re immature and not taught to take responsibility we will be immature our whole lives.