My Views of The Nature Vs Nurture Debate

Introduction: There are many people that can argue the way we’re raised determines our personality and on the other hand, many people can say the opposite. I would argue that personality does not stem from the way we were raised. Background: The idea of nature versus nurture can be applied here due to the fact that someone can be raised in a drug-addicted household and become a drug addict which would come from being nurtured. However, that same child can be the honors student at school and not be an addict which would be the nature part because the child sees that they don’t want to be affiliated with the same thing the family was a part of. Personally I was raised in a highly religious family who smokes and drinks; however, I am not religious in any way, I am comfortable with my homosexuality and I don’t drink nor do I smoke.

Thesis statement: While many philosophers debate the arguments that human beings or some of the things we do are naturally inborn many believe otherwise. There are spontaneous events that accompany the growth of a child including speech acquisition. Yes, the way we raise a child can affect the way they speak and the way they think. Evidence & citing: If a child is raised in an unhealthy environment physically and mentally affects the growth of the child. You don’t want a child to be adulting and taking care of you instead of them being taken care of by you. Many say that if a child is in an unhealthy household, then they will be more likely to be affiliated with the same thing. Commentary: This can be true, however, I would like to think about this whole situation in another aspect. How about if the way we raise a child doesn’t affect their personality but it affected their learning capacity or the way they learn. Which in many cases is true, personality is one of the many traits our brain has created.

Topic sentence: In every aspect of human life, our main interaction is with nature, however, nurture and nature are intertwined and therefore, cannot be separated. No matter how hard we try the way we were raised made us the persona we are today if it is either in a negative way or in a positive way. Evidence & citing: Several instances can attest to the fact that these scenarios are the key components in human progression are also related. For example, academic success has to some extent obtain a debate as to whether there is a genetic modification warranting success for others or whether environmental factors are the determinants of academic excellence. The truth is that apportioning blame to either factor as a contributor to a given behavior will almost be impossible but the common standpoint is that the two equally contribute to our behavior.

Topic sentence: While on the other hand, we can see the side of nurture because that side also has a point that can be accurate. There are many ways that someone can be determined as a “nurtured baby” because a person lacking affection may become introverted and shy away from other people. Commentary: And this basically shows that there is a very big reliance on the two factors for human beings to develop into the expectation of the world. Evidence & citing: Historically, intelligence has been thought to be generated by genetics rather than exposure to an appropriate environment. This has drawn a lot of controversy as different schools of thought pulled in different directions. This can confirm arguments aimed at exploring the subject 'what is nature vs nurture'. In fact, at some point, people were encouraged to get their partners from families who have exhibited high intellectual standards. Far from the previous notion held, the newly propagated belief is that nature vs. nurture is no longer a debate of which one is better but that they both have an influence on a person's life.

Topic sentence: We know that for a fact that homosexuality or being transgender is something that we are born with and not developed, but many bias people can argue that it was a choice or that the way we are raised made us that way. The way we are raised can define our personality in a plethora of ways, but cannot define our sexuality or our gender. Evidence & citing: In an article, I read it states, “We now know that DNA differences are the major systematic source of psychological differences between us. Environmental effects are important but what we have learned in recent years is that they are mostly random – unsystematic and unstable – which means that we cannot do much about them.” Commentary: The way we are raised and even our DNA cannot fully define who we are because the way we are born and raised will always stick with us and it will not define us, however, it will guide us away from what we either want to be or don’t want to be. Let us not forget that a lot of people can be raised in a highly successful family and turn out the be a bad child. A family is never perfect and the way we were raised and were raised was never perfect, some of us just got lucky and got the opportunity to grow and be who we are today.

Conclusion paragraph: To conclude the essay, the way we are raised does define our personality, but not in the ways people think. It always will end up in the whole nature vs nurture topic. No matter how many philosophers and scientists try to answer all the nature vs nurture questions it is still unknown. However, it does offer some understanding of how genes play a role in development and how the environment could affect our genes. There is so much to discover when it comes to genetics and the environment. The answers will forever remain a mystery that will hopefully be solved with time.

Work Cited

1. “So is it nature not nurture after all”, Andrew Anthony, https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/sep/29/so-is-it-nature-not-nurture-after-all-genetics-robert-plomin-polygenic-testing