Thena ture /

nur tureissuer elatestoma nyc ont roversi

e ssuc ha sintell
ige nc e,g ende ri de ntit
ies,
viole ntbe hav iors,ands exua lor i
e nt ati
on.Howdowebe comewhowea re?Tr a ditiona ll
y ,
pe opl e’sa nswe r
sha vepl a cedt he mi noneoft woc amps :na tur eornur tur e.Theones ay sgenes
de termi nea ni ndi v
idua lwhi l
et heot he rc l
aimst hee nv i
ronme nti sthel inc hpinf orde velopme nt
.
Sinc et he16thc entury,whe nt het e rms“ nature”a nd“ nur tur e”f irs
tc amei ntous e ,ma nype ople
ha ves penta mpl etimede ba t
ingwhi c hi smor ei mpor tant ,butt hesedis cus si
onsha v emor eoften
ledt oi de olog icalcul-de -
s acsr athe rt ha npi nna clesofins ight.Thi sdiscus sionc a nbec ons i
de r
ed
oneoft heol de s
tpr oble msi nps yc holo gy ,thema inque stionofwhi chi s:“ Ar ehuma nt ra i
ts
pre senta tbi rthora r
et he yde velopi ngt hroug he xperienc e?” (Me y e
rs,2013) .Na tur eisde f
inedas
“thei nbor n,i nna techa ra cterofa nor ga nism.” (
Ra thus56) .Itr eferstoa lloft heg e ne sa nd
he redi taryf actorstha tinflue nc ewhowea re—f romourphy sica lappe ara nc etoourpe rsona l
it
y
cha ra cteristi
c s.Thena tur alsideoft hedi scussi
ona s
sertst ha tthef acialf eatur esa ndt hewa yof
the irde v elopme ntstri
c tl
yt hr oug hDNAa ndg e neti
csa ret ra nsmi tt
edbypa rent sa nd
gra ndpa rent s.Da vidG.Me y erswr otea boutt woma les ibling sa sane x ampl eofana turea spect
,
the ywe res epa r
ateds hor tl
ya ft
erbi rtha ndme ta ft
er38y e ars.I twa sfoundt ha ttwome na re
ver ys imi l
a rtoe achot he ra ndt he yha v eas i
mi larwa yofl i
fe( Me yersl,2013) .Thi se xa mple
he lpst oe ns ur ethatg ene sa ff
e ctpe ople ’
spe rs
ona li
tya ndde v elopme nt.Ast heGe rma n
phi losophe r,I mma nue lKa ntbe lie vedt ha tthei ndividua l’
st hink ingc anunde rsta ndt he
expe ri
e ncebe fore(Or ig i
ns ,2011) .Ga ltonc onc ludestha twi sdomi sinhe ritedwhe nhel ook s
throug hr e searcht hatdi fferentf ami l
iesha vea chieveme ntsi nl if
e( Me ye rs,2013) .The rea re
ma nyf actorst hatsuppor tthena tur eoft hedisc ussi
on.
Ont heot he rha nd,Nur tureisde f
ineda s“thes umt otaloft hee nvironme ntalfac tor sthata f
fect
anor g anismf romc onceptiononwa rd.”
(Rathus56) .Itrefe r
st oa l
lthee nvironme nt alvariables
thatimpa ctwhowea re
,inc l
udingoure ar
lyc hi l
dhoode x periences,howwewe rer a i
sed,our
soci
a lrelationshi ps,andours urroundingc ulture .Itisav a r
iousf act
or softhee nv i
r onme ntthata
personi se xpos edt o,whi chc aninfluencehowape rsonde velops.Nur turea f
fe
c tsa ni ndiv i
dual’
s
growt ht hroug hmul t
ipl
ewa yssucha sstre
ssor s,a ct
ivit
ies,intell
e c
t,ande xperi
enc e sphy sical
ly,
emot iona l
ly,a nds oc i
a l
lythroughpe ers
.Propone nt
soft henur turesideofdi s
cus sions aythatthe
mindsofi ndi vidua l
sa re“ blankstate”whe nt he ya reborn,a sJohnLoc kes ai
d( Este rma n,2012) .
Thiss ug geststha tpe oplea rebornwi t
houta nybui l
t-inknowl edgea ndi nste
adbe c omeauni que
persont hroug he xpe ri
enc e,parentalguidanc e,a ndpe rception.Soa skingwhi chi smor e
impor tant,g ene sore nv i
ronme nts,isk i
ndofl ikea s
kingwhi chi smor eimpor tanti nma ki
nga n
ordina r
ya ut omobi lerun,s parkplug sorgasoline .Youne e dbot h.The y’
rebotha bs olutely
esse
nt ial.As ki
ngt heque stion“whi chonei smor ei mpor tant?”r eall
ydoe s
n’tma k ea nys ense.
We llinmyownl if
e,Iha v ear ea s
ont obe lievet ha tthe ybot hpl ay edama j
orr ol einmy
dev el
opme ntbutIbe li
evet ha tnur t
ur eha dmor eofar ol et ha nna turedid.If eellik eac ert
a i
n
partsofmynur tureha dmor ei nfluenc et ha not he rpa rt
ss uc ha smypa re
nts .Ia lsobe li
ev ethatI
wa sbor nwi thmyownopi ni ononwha tisr ighta ndwha ti swr ongbuta sIha vebe ca meol de r,I
feelli
k emynur tureormye nv ironme ntha sc onf orme dmymor alst othewor ldwel ivein. For
exampl ei smyna turetoldmet ha trapmus icisr eallyba da nds houl dn’tbel ist
e ne dt oa nd
suppor ted.Al thoug hmypa re ntr aisedmet ell
inghowba di twa s,myownpe rs
ona lbe li
e f
sa nd
obse r
v ationsdi ff
ered.Asl onga sIc a ni dent ifywhe nwha tthe yt alka boutint hes ong sisr ight
andwr onga nddon’ tst
a rta ctingl iket hemus ic,iti snotr ea llyabi gde al.
Ibe li
ev et ha tnoto nly
mypa re
nt sbutt houg hmyownobs e rva ti
onsofhowc erta inde cisionse ff
ectedpe opl ei nthe
count ryori nthewor l
di sa lsoa nothe rwa yt hatmynur tur eha sha ditspa r
ti nmyde v e
lopme nt.
Howe v er,nume rousresea rche rsa renowl ook i
nga thowt het wof actorsintertwi nea ndi nfl
ue nce
onea nothe rbe causeonl yoneoft hemc oul dnots impl ye x ista l
onewi t
houtt heot he rv erywe ll.
Na turea ndnur t
urec oexista ndwor kt og ethe rtohe l
ps ha peape r son,whe the riti sfromt het wo
wor kingt o get
he roronebe ings li
ghtlymor epr e domi na ntov e rtheot her.Somephi losophe rs
sucha sPl atoandDe s
ca r
te ssug gest
e dt ha tc ertaint hing sa rei nbor n,ortha tthe yoc curna t
ura ll
y
rega r
dl essofe nvironme nt alinf luenc es.Si gni f
icante vide nc es howst hatnur turingot he rs
impr ov ess oci
ety’swe l
l-being .Theonc eubi quitousde ba tesa boutna t
urev s.nur tur eha ve
bec omemuc hlesscommon.I ns tead,i tha sbe comea ppa rentt ha tbot hourg ene ti
cna turea nd
oure nv ironme ntsaff
e c
tourbe hav i
or .Thebot toml i
nei st ha tt he re’salotmor ewor kt hats t
il
l
nee dstobedonebe foreweunde rst
a nda lloft his,buti tc er tainlyl ook sli
kewea reont he
thresholdofawhol ene wwa yoft hink i
nga bouthuma nde ve l
opme nt,andi t’sve rye x ci
ting.