NATURE VERSUS NURTURE

NATURE VERSUS NURTURE

Nature is the conformity of the uncontrolled factors in life. They are inborn and controlled by factors such as genetic influence and other biological features. Nurture is the influence of exterior elements, mostly those caused by the surrounding environment (Tabery,2014).In the recent past debates regarding how nature and nurture alter the behavior of human beings are on the rise. In the development of human behavior, different. Psychologists have come up with various theories independence of their opinion on what impacts behavior. Bearing in mind that human beings have the intellectual ability, what affects the character is highly dependent on personal decision. Therefore, this paper will discuss the impact of nature and nurture on human behavior.

The mind controls the behavior of an individual. The brain must conceive every action someone takes for it to happen. An act done depends on the intention. For instance, a religious place such as a church or mosque, the setting determines the behavior. Thus the behavior of an individual, in this case, maybe influenced by the nurture about the environment.

Genetics is a factor that affects the behavior of an individual. The great philosopher Plato states that specific actions are inborn and not what is conceived by the environment (Harris, 2017). Different people have genetic disorders that affect their behavior. A good example is an albinism. Someone having such a disease may remain indoors due to the condition of the skin. The individual is, therefore, brought up differently. The person will thus engage in indoor activities and an attitude that considers indoor activities crucial than outdoor activities. In the future, the person will live a secluded life. If in by chance, someone mistreats the person based on her albinism condition, a hatred attitude is created.

The social being of an individual is a factor for one’s character and behavior (Lowry, Zhang & Wu,2017). Human beings are social beings and tend to have a common practice when people engage in the same activities. Peers, for example, have an impact, and they influence the behavior one will have. However, people may fail to conduct some behavior due to the character caused by nature. Leadership skills are inherited. The individual feels that he has to control his role and not guided by another individual. Hence both nature and nurture influence behavior concurrently.

Observation is a crucial way of learning and implementing behavior. Children categorically observe from the elders and do what they see from them. Therefore, children learn from the elderly, and the practices continue in their lives. Hence nurture explains the behavior of someone. Parenting also is done by the guardians, but most importantly, the children observe the character. Even on occasions where the parent does the wrong thing, the child sees and does that in the future. Behavior thus becomes highly adopted by the person and thus nurture the tone. Even though changes in one’s character due to the internal factors of an individual, it still becomes evident that the person will engage in acts learned earlier through observation.

Conscience in someone may lead persons to engage in certain behaviors. Human beings are generally moral and have ethics. Therefore, human beings behave correctly. In some instances, one may do some action and feel guilty and apologetic for the work. This shows that we are generally moral. Conscience being an internal factor is natural, and thus it is one of the internal factors influencing behavior. The religiosity of a person is related to the conscience of a person, and therefore one behaves following the fundamental elements in his or her personality. However, in some cases, a person may have been given specific teaching and doctrines from the external factor, and thus behavior changes. The person may kill the conscience and, therefore, may do other actions depending on the environment surrounding.

Education dramatically influences the behavior of a person. The intellectual part of an individual improves with the action seen. Education is an external factor in shaping behavior. Knowledge learned in schools changes the way we think and the perception of life. People engaging in learning activities are presumed by society to have certain practices. An educated person tends to have a second thought of participating in a response. One weighs the consequences of an action or behavior and judges if it is worth being done.

Education makes us behave differently. No consideration of the second thought. Therefore nurture key when to one’s behaviorism.

In conclusion, nature and nurture are inseparable when impacting one’s behavior. Both play a vital role in the acts depicted. Therefore from childhood to adulthood, behavior changes or actions, once done, are based on the internal and external factors.

References

Tabery, J. (2014). Beyond versus: The struggle to understand the interaction of nature and nurture. MIT Press.

Lowry, P. B., Zhang, J., & Wu, T. (2017). Nature or nurture? A meta-analysis of the factors that maximize the prediction of digital piracy by using social cognitive theory as a framework. Computers in Human Behavior, 68, 104-120.

Harris, J. F. (2017). The ascent of man: A philosophy of human nature. Routledge.