Nature vs Nurture, a Reflection

Psychology 100
Reflection Essay
1April2013

Reading our psychology text, many topics have stood out to me, but none more than the Nature versus Nurture and Human Diversity topic. What makes a person unique? Does our environment or genetic makeup determine how we will act as we grow up? Will I be influenced by the actions of those I associate with? Will I act like my parents? Am I genetically predisposed to follow in the footsteps of my parents? After I finish my degree, I plan to be a social worker. I believe this particular topic can benefit me in my career.
Every person is unique, from their personality to the way they care for their family. One question that plagues the mind of many is whether human behavior is influenced by genetics or by the individual’s environment. I believe that it is a combination of both. Although it is not true for all people, whether you grow up wealthy or poor, it does not dictate the path of your life. While there are those who will write their own paths, there are those who follow in the footsteps of others, allowing their environment to affect their behaviors. I think young children are more likely to allow their environment to influence their behaviors as they know no better. As children grow and learn to think for themselves, they can make better (or worse) decisions for themselves. While some people will not try to better themselves, thinking that they always will be poor and always will, there are those who strive to have better, to be better, to provide better for their families. The same can be said for those who grew up wealthy. Some people know the proper way to save and invest their funds while others will foolishly spend money like it’s nothing. One can say that the way an individual is raised will shape who they will be as an adult, but that is not always true. There will always be the exceptions to the rule. My great grandmother told my mother (who she raised when my grandparents were killed) that as parents it is our job to teach our children right from wrong. What we choose to do with that knowledge is up to us, and we will endure the consequences of the decisions we make. Children will learn from the ones they are raised by. I always said “ not be like my mother”, yet every day I see myself doing what my mother did, teaching my own children the way my mother taught me. I was raised by a single, very self-sufficient mother, and therefore I have become quite self sufficient myself. Being married to a soldier, I am often left by myself for extended periods of time. My self-sufficient behavior comes in very handy in these times when I have no one to depend on. I can see my genetics showing up in my behavior there. As a teenager in high school, I was the ‘leader’ of my group of peers. Looking back now, I can see certain friends allowing my behavior to influence the way they behaved, or treated other students. I have heard it said “You are the company you keep” and in my personal life, that was all too true. I can only hope that I can teach my children to be a better person than I was.
My husband was adopted by his father and was exposed to wealth from that side of the family. While we are financially stable now with no need to use state assistance, there was a time when he made questionable decisions to abuse drugs and alcohol and things could have gone in another direction, had he not joined the Army. Being as his parents were both alcoholics, he was exposed (maybe even predisposed) to alcoholism and to him it was the norm. I also come from a family of alcoholics While alcoholism may be genetic, in my opinion, it is a personal choice to choose to indulge when you know you may be predisposed to these addiction. Joining the Army was my husband’s saving grace, and it taught him many life lessons that we now work on instilling in our children.
As a young child, I went through a difficult time with my parent’s divorce. I had a hard time adjusting and could not readily accept the changes in my life. Looking back on my past now, I see the trials I went through, and want to use my past experience, and future knowledge to better help children going through similar situations. I am working on my AA in Social Service/Mental Health to pursue a career in social work. I have learned a lot about myself as an individual and many inner components that affect the way I behave and react to certain situations.
Reading the psychology text book, I have learned about the human body and mind, and they way it all works. As easy as reading about it makes it seem, humans are complicated creatures. Each person is a unique individual. Every day the choices we make are shaped by tv ads we see, conversations we have with friends, or with things we learned growing up. I don’t believe that there is, or ever will be, a clear answer as to whether our environment or our genetics influence our behaviors. In almost every person’s life, there will be evidence of both. The way my mother raised me has greatly influenced the way I raise my children, and when I am out of ideas for them, I usually call my mother to ask her advice. Likewise, I look to the environment around me to make decisions when grocery shopping, or making the choice to make an expensive purchase. Overall, both the environment and our genetic makeup work together to influence our daily life and the choices we make.