Nature shapes us through the genetic traits we inherit – everything from our physical features to aspects of our personality. Nurture, on the other hand, influences us through life experiences, the way we are raised, our relationships, and the environment we grow up in. While nature provides the blueprint, nurture plays a significant role in shaping how we develop and respond to the world around us.

Philosophers Plato and John Locke

Some philosophers including Plato, suggest that certain things are natural, or they occur naturally, regardless of environmental influences. Other well-known philosophers such as John Locke, suggest the mind begins as a blank page – everything that we are, and all of our knowledge is determined by our experiences and early conditioning.

Behaviours and Conditioning

Empiricists argue that most of our behaviours and traits come from learning and experience rather than genetics. They believe that conditioning shapes our actions and that, given the right environment, people can be trained to become anything, regardless of their genetic makeup.

This raises important questions. When someone excels academically, is it because they are naturally gifted, or has their environment nurtured their abilities? If a person has a violent temper, is it an inherited trait, or is it a learned response from observing those around them? Nature and nurture are deeply connected, influencing who we become in ways we may not always realise, think about, or understand.

Environmental Influences

Some characteristics are tied to environmental influences. How a person behaves can be linked to influences such as parenting styles and learned experiences. For example, a child might learn through observation and reinforcement to say 'please' and 'thank you.' Another child might learn to behave aggressively by observing their parents' behaviour.

Even today, research in psychology often tends to emphasise one influence over the other. What researchers do know is that it is the interaction between heredity and environment which is the most important factor of all. Throughout the history of psychology, this debate has continued to stir up controversy, although today, the majority of experts believe both nature and nurture influence behaviour and development.

Genetic Factors

More people are beginning to understand that asking whether heredity or environment has a greater influence on a trait is not the right question. The truth is, these influences are deeply intertwined and cannot be separated so easily. Genetics interact with one another, just as environmental factors – such as social experiences and cultural surroundings shape who we are. More importantly, heredity and environment do not work in isolation; they influence and shape each other in ways we can't full separate.

Conclusion

Although genetics and environment play their part, we can still learn things like empathy, compassion, tolerance and patience. There is room for change if we want to change. We should think about what we want to do with our lives and consider who we want to keep in our lives. When we ignore both our unconscious and conscious thinking, we will change nothing.

It is important not to rely on your parentage, instead we should nurture ourselves, once we're old enough to make our own decisions. (Source: verywellmind.com)