Nature or nurture? Both?

myst1998

I definately would say its both but more leaning towards nature. I hav heard many adoptive parents say that no matter whatt hey did, their adopted child was just so different from the rst of their family and when they met their natural family they just were like peas in pods. Nothing can take away that genetical pull; the way nature intended a person to be but I also believe nurture can make a huge impact on the way a person turns out. I don't think its as easy as to class it as one thing over another... this debate that has been going on for decades keeps going round in circles because like with most things in life, it isn't black and white.

So I would say both... plus a dash of normal life - no one can ever know what exactly will come.

sunny

I wasn't 'nurtured', so I'm not a fan of the n/n argument. I like genetic/environmental instead.

I think genetic is the hard drive, environment is the software--changeable. Genetic is (for me) about 80-90%, environmental 10-20%.

Example? I spent the first 22 years of my life knowing NOTHING about who I was or where I came from. The next 20 have been filled in information from my nparents. Literally every trait, habit, inflection, and interest can be tied to my parents. Or in the case of my mother--to her, all her sisters, and her mother and HER sisters.

I'll give you one personal example. I was always fascinated by 'true crime', which was not shared by my afamily. I read Helter Skelter in the 6th grade, and was obsessed with the Patty Hearst case in elementary school. Guess what my nmother grew up reading? Her mother's True Detective magazines. That's not a quirk (well, it may be considered quirky) but there are TONS more examples JUST like it.

The environmental? I grew up lower-middle class with financially irresponsible parents. It's very hard to outgrow the feeling that I 'deserve' something material, or the feeling that the 'other shoe' is NOT going to drop.

We're all born hard-wired.

Independ"ant"

I believe its both.....humans are not one dimensional.

I lean stronger toward (95%) Nature and consider (5%)Nurturing as a way to enhance or inhibit an individuals genetic predispositions.....whether intentional or not.

Example: child prodigies

Opedial

In truth I think both and neither lol.

I think both my genetics and my nurturing left a bit to be desired, but I worked hard to overcome these "deficiencies".

That said, I am so like my mother at times it drives my husband insane, and that can't be all nurture, there has to be some genetic wiring there that makes me be passive aggressive regularly once per month.

I also think, having studied both psychology and sociology, that it is both, but at times in certain people, one aspect of both nature and nurture can "tip the balance.". Someone who suffers from depression may have a genetic chemical imbalance, or have suffered great difficulties in their nurture environment.

Anha S

Both. Even though we were raised in different homes, different environments, my sister and I are very very similar in nature, sense of humor, personality, demeanor. We even ended up having our first child at the same age. I got told today that I am the spitting image of my gramma, not only in looks, but in my love of baking, and my extreme dislike of cheese on most thing.

Nurture in that I speak like my amom, and I more tend to a strict no nonsense approach to many things. Watching her taught me how to multitask, and handle some difficult situations which is something that helped me when I worked as a bouncer later in life.

Erin L

It's not a percentage type thing. They work together. Nurture is needed for the expression of what nature provided. Nurture can't work on what isn't naturally there and nature is pointless without nurture to develop it.

eta: I like Sunny's hardware/software analogy. Both work together.

SJM

Both. It doesn't just apply to humans, either. Shih tzus don't make the best hunting dogs, and Labradors are a bad choice for a lap dog unless you have a really big lap. Nurture brings out the best or the worst in natural traits.

Gaia Raain II

At this point in my life, I have to say nature. My parents, though imperfect, have some great genes. My dad is artistic, as is his whole family (they all love music, which I inherited from them, my dad's sister and brother are fabulous artists with pencil and paint, I'm a writer and a cellist, and I have a lot of crafty talents, all thanks to my dad). My mom is super organized, which I can tap into in fits and starts (heehee). I have a strong desire to be organized, but my artistic side keeps me spontaneous and...well...unorganized, lol. But my job is 90% organization, so my mom's genes do help a lot.

My parents' "nurturing" was abusive, and they passed that legacy along to their children. That plays a huge role in my attitudes and beliefs, and what I choose to focus on in my life, but it has really very little influence on my life as it is right now. I have an excellent marriage with a non-abusive man, and have cut all abusive people out of my life. So, the "nurturing" I recieved as a child influences my choices ABOUT my day-to-day life, but it has no role currently at play in my life. I don't feel like this paragraph makes any sense, so I'll just say I WAS abused, and am not anymore.

If other influences (i.e. friends, teachers, mentors, etc.) can be included in "nurture", then it does have some role in my life today. I choose who I get my nurturing from these days, and I choose people who are able to give non-abusive nurturing...and recieve the same in return. I have learned much from these folks, and my life is much enriched because of them.

I didn't expect this to be an emotional question for me, but it is. My parents are imperfect. They have hurt me beyond repair, and they have almost nothing positive to contribute to my life (because anything they did contribute was laced with negative, no matter how positive it seemed to be at the time). But they are not evil creatures spawned from hell...they are not "bad" by nature. They just don't know how to escape their own "nurturing" influences. If their "nurture" were removed, what would be left would be two beautiful people with a lot of love and a wonderful outlook on life. I did get so many positive things from them...IF I ignore the "nurturing" I got from them.

Torrejon

It is an old question...is nature or nurture more important? I really think you're missing the point. Both are important. It is how they combine that makes the individual.

Jackie B

Both. There have been case studies where identical twins who were separated and once reunited found that they had so many things in common. On the other hand, there is no doubt you are the product of your upbringing. Obviously a child who grew up in a loving home would have a far better experience than the twin who grew up with terrible parents.

Annabelle

I dont think nurture can be discounted. Babies who are not nurtured develop differently. Abuse/ neglect can have a profound impact on children that carries well into adulthood.Of course every child reacts differently to these stressors and why is that...nature of course.

ladybmw1218

Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference. Do I share my mom's tendency towards pessimism (something I actively work on daily) because it is an inherent trait or because I was also raised by her?

With DS, I definitely see his nature in him, everyday. His sense of humor is definitely in line with his first mom's as are many of his mannerisms and expressions. I also see nurture, like the way he gesticulates like his (a)cousin, or the way he interacts one way with me, another way with his dad, etc. He has special "this person only" inside jokes and phrases and rituals.

Probably more often though, we all see those things that are unique to him...we can't trace certain things he does or says to either nature or nurture. Those are my favorite personality traits.

So, in short I find it difficult to answer your question. I think it's both and neither as one is more impactful in one aspect and the other more impactful with regard to a different aspect and they combine to form a completely unique person with their own traits and thoughts.

Shelly P. Tofu, E.M.T.

Both

It's been proven

End of Story.

Examples: I was raised by my biological parents. They were/are good people with great family values, morals, and my mother has strong religious convictions.

If I had been raised by someone else,
I would possibly still have aspects of my mother's personality. I'd probably still be overly sensitive. I'd probably still have my father's interest in History trivia, maybe even coin collecting.
I'd probably still have the tendency to depression from my father

HOWEVER,
How much I'd still be like my mom, if I hadn't spent my whole life observing her, copying her, being nurtured by her, is left to the imagination. I'm not sure if I'd still be so overly sensitive to OTHERS feelings if I hadn't learned it from her.

If I'd been raised by crappy parents I'd have ALOT more issues than I already have. If, for example, I'd been abused, etc. If I hadn't been monitored and taught the importance of staying away from tobacco, alcohol, and drugs.. IF, for example, my aparents had smoked pot and let me do so... if I hadn't had the mother I had to guide me in morality, I'd be a COMPLETELY different person. I'd probably be really messed up.

Instead I'm a religious person who was not ALLOWED the opportunity to "get in trouble." Thank God..I was properly parented until the age where I had the maturity to understand the "why's" behind the rules and make them my own.

THIS is nurture.. this isn't because my mom was genetically connected to me.. this is because of who she was, morally. BOth my parents.

Want another example: My father happened to be the type that wasn't opposed to taking a bit of alcohol, though he was careful never to get anywhere near drunk (overcompensation for a drunk father, I think) . However, he even offered it to me when I was a kid. Now what do you think I would have done if I hadn't had a mother who taught me that drinking, even once, even a little, is a bad Idea. What if my mom had a similar attitude as my father about alcohol. I bet I WOULD have drunk some.. I may have even become an alcoholic because A) alcoholism is in my DNA and B) I can drink more than I can eat. 2 quarts of lemonade or soda in an hour is NOTHING for me, if I let myself...

So.. there IS something to be said for nurture

I think to an extent it's true that nature is the hardware adn nurture is the software.

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