Nature versus Nurture Research Assignment Paper

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Nature versus Nurture
The issue of which is more important between nature and nurture has been around for a long time. When a child is born, he/she is without any preferences but as the child develops a personal identity also develops. The biggest question in life is whether identity is something that is shaped by the circumstances around the individual or if it is something that someone is born with. In some cases, there are people whose identity is shaped by the influences at the time they are born while others are influence the environment around them.
According to the nature theory, hereditary traits make us who we are. Even though this theory is believable, it is not that convincing when examined in the light of nurture. The human species learn new things each day. In most cases, learning begins the moment one comes into this world. Newborn babies slowly learn and adapt to their new surroundings in order to survive in a new environment, which is different from the one inside the womb. The home is the first environment that children grow up, adapt and develop. Even though external influences are also important, the home is where everything starts (Reppold, Hutz and Hutz 12).
The moment a child leaves the home and joins the school environment all the home experiences are forgotten in favor of what they learn at school. In his novel titled Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury claims “Heredity and environment are funny things. You can’t rid yourselves of all the odd ducks in just a few years. The home environment can undo a lot you try to do at school” (54). Bradbury goes on to state that the home environment is so powerful such that it can undo what has been done in school. This strong influence has seen the school going age being reduced significantly over the years in order to reduce the home influence over the child (Bradbury 54).
An individual cannot say that they like skating until they have actually tried the sport. Without the experience, it is impossible for one to claim that they enjoyed it. This example makes nature more important than nurture since it is impossible for one to say that their genetic composition makes them to enjoy skating. Experiences and influences are crucial, as it is what makes an individual. Even though scientists make good points concerning genetics, it is evident that an individual’s nurturing determines personality development (Highsmith, Mercado, Hernandez and Madrigal 5). In Bradbury’s novel, the author claims that it was impossible to instruct the young girl since the family was constantly her subconscious thus eroding what she learned in school. This means that the way an individual is nurtured especially at home has a big effect on a person’s development (Bradbury 54).
As people grow older, the outside world, friends, and the media play a very important role in shaping behavior. The influence of the world around us is so great to a point where everything that we were taught about a matter wh...