When it comes to the debate of Nature vs. Nurture I consider myself to be the middle man. I feel that our behavior, physical development and our identity is not only the result of our genealogical makeup but our interactions, and decisions that we encounter on a daily basis as well as our family structure. First I would like to give a brief summary of the two topics. The nature side of the debate expresses that our decisions and end results are stemmed from only our genealogical make up such as, hair color and even diseases. Nurture on the other hand is the actualization that our actions and decisions are brought upon us not by our DNA makeup but actually from the environment around us, including our culture and upbringing. Although many people …show more content…
Although this may seem as if DNA plays the biggest part in forming your identity you should think again. Many teenagers form their own identities by putting themselves into different situations and figuring out which path will have the greatest outcome (Myers, 2014, p. 144). Although we cannot rule out DNA when we try to form our identities most people will argue that many teens do not just automatically know who they want to be. They begin to form themselves and create their own person by referring to the actions and identities of the people surrounding them, which leads me to the topic of family …show more content…
When you look in a mirror what do you see? You don’t see the words caring, nice, tall and happy, do you? No. This is because your physical appearance, although it can be medically altered, is created when your parents DNA are combined together, which is why you can see characteristics from both parents when you do look in the mirror (nature). Now although you may see those characteristics, there is also a side of you that may only be the result of prior actions (nurture). Some of these characteristics may include having muscles or having a healthy diet, these traits are based more so on how your surroundings are affecting you (Myers, 2014, p. 150-151). For instance, maybe you had a family member diagnosed with diabetes and they were told to watch their eating habits, because of this you may have begun eating healthy as well since you could already be carrying the gene you may not want to risk the chance of getting diagnosed as well. This is an example of nurture solely because a previous result or action has triggered you to make a change in how you are living your
The nature-nurture debate is one of the oldest arguments in psychology, dating back to Greek philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. While Socrates and Plato believed that knowledge is innate, Aristotle thought that knowledge is not preexisting and grows with experience. Even today, people ask whether nature (genetics/inherited characteristics) or nurture (environment and experiences) has a larger effect on one’s personality and behavior. Both nature and nurture have influenced everybody’s lives, including my own. Everything from the color of someone’s eyes to their temper can be explained by nature, nurture, or a combination of both. My genetics explain many of my traits and make me similar to my parents and the environments I have grown
The argument of nature vs. nurture is a long-standing one in the psychological and social worlds. It is the argument about whether we are ruled by our genes or our upbringing. It is my thought that neither is true. It is nature working with nurture which determines our personality and our lifestyle.
The nature vs. nurture controversy is an age old question in the scientific and psychological world with both camps having evidence to support their theories. The controversy lies in which is more influential in the development of human beings. While there is no definitive answer for this, it is interesting to look at each of them separately.
Nature, which is also known as hereditary, is the genetic makeup (DNA) that an individual carries from birth until death. Hereditary characteristics are different in each individual, group and humans in comparison to other species. Nurture on the other hand refers to environmental factors and similar to nature, an individual is also exposed from birth until death. These factors involve elements such as physical environments (prenatal nutrition) and social environments (media and peer pressure). (Social Issues Referencing, 2007)
...s may never agree on a conclusive degree to which both nature and nurture play roles in human development, but over the years, more improved studies have shown that both are crucial aspects. With all the knowledge we are gaining from these studies, it would be quite limiting to believe that a criminal and his actions are the sole result of heredity. Even in people who do not commit crimes, genes themselves are affected by the prenatal environment. Undoubtedly, the fetus experiences changes in environment, forcing possible changes in heredity and reactionary response. We are likely to never find the answer to how much or how little either, nature or nurture, impacts our lives, but at least we can agree that they both do, in fact, have major roles. Our development is not the culmination of heredity alone, but of a tangled web of experiences and genetics entwined.
The Battle of Nature vs. Nurture In Nancy Kress' "In Memoriam", the philosophical issue of identity becomes apparent. As a son pleads to his mother to take part in a medical procedure, which wipes your mind clear of memories, the question of "what makes me'me'?" arises. Set in the future, the mother is faced with a decision: whether or not she wants to die as a result of having too many memories, or as a result of having none at all. The son, Aaron, takes quite a different approach however as he feels that it is not a question of death, rather a question of life.
In the well-received novel “Pudd’nhead Wilson,” Mark Twain skillfully addresses the ancient argument about the origin of one’s character and whether it’s derived from his nature or his surroundings. We can best see this battle between nature versus nurture by inspecting the plot lines that follow the characters Thomas a Becket Driscoll, Valet de Chambre, and Roxana the slave. Thomas was born into a wealthy white family while Roxy birthed Chambers into a life of slavery. It seemed as though each would have gone their separate ways into opposite walks of life, but Roxy secretly swapped the children, which destined each to their counterintuitive fates. Through their words and actions, Tom, Chambers, and Roxy have proven the idea that one’s behaviors and desires are a result of his upbringings and the environment he lives in rather than by his innate nature.
The nature vs. nurture debate is the philosophical and scientific argument about whether human behavior and personality is a product of nature or nurture. In this debate, nature is often referred to as hereditary or hormone-based behaviors, while nurture is defined in terms of environment and experience. Twin studies have been a vital part of this debate because of the exceptional genetic similarities between twin siblings.
The debate on nurture versus nature goes much further back in history, to the times of philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato, respectively. One reason why individuals may not be aware of this is due to the different terminology used to describe
During a personally conducted interview with my peer, Yulissa Morales, I asked what she knew about nature versus nurture. Her response was, “Nature is outside; what surrounds you. And nurture is how you are being cared for; if it is good or bad.” She was half right. Nature refers to a person’s DNA and inherited factors that influence who we are, from
Nature vs Nurture is a very long living debate that has been on the minds of many who study motor development. This can be a very difficult topic to choose a side to argue for because both Nature and Nurture have very strong points which prove they influence the development of a person. Nature refers to the genetic makeup and genetic relations an individual has linked to their birth parents. Nature is strictly about the genetics and the way these genetics make up and influence the way a person develops, behaves and lives their life. Nature refers to heredity and the traits an individual will obtain from their parents that have been passed down from generation to generation. Nurture refers to the environment one lives in and the experiences
I like the simplicity of the way the textbook phrased the nature vs. nurture debate. Berger (2017) wrote “neither belief is accurate. The question is ‘how much,’ [of nature and nurture] not ‘which’” [one solely influences] (p.7). An individual’s genes and the environments they grew up in both impacts the person’s life to make them who they
We cannot be absolute when it comes what shapes us, yes indeed we come to this world which specific characteristic, our genes make us who we are but do not determine our future and our possible potential. Our cultural influence and our interaction with our environment make up our experience and step by step build our schemas and our perception regarding the world around us. Nature gives us the first tools in order for us to service, give us the information from generation to generation to overcome the possible obstacles. Then, nurture’s takes over, through the interaction with the averment, base to our cultural norms and rules we shape our beliefs; values; attitudes and behaviors. We learn how to behave, how to interact and how to communicate with the people around us. Thus, the answer between what side to choose, nature or nurture, I personally believe that the answer lies between the two of them. As we say, especially in the field of psychology, it depends. Yes, we born into this world we some innate information, but this information is interpreted from the stimuli we gather through the interaction we have with the
Nature vs nurture debate is one of the oldest arguments in the history of psychology. It is the scientific cultural, and philosophical debate about whether human culture, behavior, and personality are caused primarily by nature or nurture. Nature and nurture are both equally important. They are the two are major influences that affect the person you grow to be and will determine what your children will be tomorrow. Nature refers to heredity, which are traits and features that are inherited from your parents and ancestors. At birth you, as a person, inherits 50% of each parent 's genetic material that are passed along through the chromosomes found in the DNA. Hair color, height, body type, and eye color are some examples of characteristics
Nature is things which we inherit and are born with through our genetics where nurture is what we have growing up with around us to help us shape our lives.