“Biology gives you a brain, life turns it into a mind.” –Jeffrey Euginedes
In my opinion the concept of nature vs. nurture has always been interesting. It is like comparing science and religion. I believe that both topics are allies, not enemies. One is simply too young to understand the other. The notion of nature and/or nurture has a long and complex history. It seems that every time one or the other was discredited it resurfaced in a vaguely tailored form.
The reason I find this particular topic to be so enthralling is simply because we all technically have the same brain, with all the same parts yet we are so completely different. No two people are alike and it comes down to the way we are raised and the way we just are. We have all read the books, seen the movies, or seen the television shows where a smart individual from a good home and good family does terrible things or vice versa. When the person from the good family does something bad the parents always seem to ask themselves, “where did I go wrong”, perhaps they did nothing wrong it was simply in their nature, the fact that they were nurtured well simply suppressed what was truly underneath. (Of course this is just my thoughts on the matter).
Some still debate this topic, however, the question has changed from “is it nature or nurture” to “how much is genetic, and how much is the result of experience”. John P.J. Pinel the author of Biopsychology 8th edition ends the topic with three very good points to think about, “1. Neurons become active long before they are fully developed; 2. The subsequent course of their development depends on their activity; 3. Experience continuously modifies genetic expression”.
Damaris, having read your post I find myself contemplating the ideas you have set forth. I myself often find myself wondering if something I have seen is nature vs. nurture. I find this most puzzling when I am shown an example of a behavior I myself have exibited that someone in my family attributes to my father (whom I have had minimal contact with all my life) and then I find myself seeing the same behavior performed by my mother. So the question is: did I inherit this behavior from my father (and thus I gained it through genetic predisposition) or did I learn it from my mother (in which case it could be either way). I find your post to be very straightforward and direct but feel I need to add something. I believe we should add articles or a video or something to our posts, as stated in the directions for pur posts. Just wanted to let you know for next time. All in all your post is very thought provoking.
ReplyDeleteWe are all pretty much made up the same way but like you said yet we all act so different. I think most of it is from how we were raised or how we deal with certain things. Kids these days are being raised so differently than from when I was growing up. Some of it is genetic but I believe most of it is experience. Experience has to do alot with how a person acts.
ReplyDelete