Position Paper: Nature Vs. Nurture

Position Paper: Nature vs. Nurture

The controversy of nature vs. nurture has been going on for many years, and a

decision has not yet been reached in which one is the most affective. Using the results of

the countless tests done, everyday situations, and the twins experiment, I will prove that

nature is a larger contributor to the outcome of our personalities than nurture.

Firstly, many psychologists and Universities, such as Harvard, conducted countless

test to determined which traits of our personalities seemed to be inherited, and which

seemed to be developed from our own life experiences. For most of the traits measured,

more than half the variation was found to be due to heredity. Among these traits were

things such as leadership abilities, traditionalism, obedience or lack of, and surprisingly

enough, the strict enforcement of rules. An not all the things tested were based on stature

and parental ways. Some that tested out at least 50% due to heredity included a sense of

well-being, zest for life; alienation; vulnerability or resistance to stress and fearfulness or

risk-seeking. All these factors have to do directly with our personality. Our goals for

achieving and future were another thing that tested out to be largely due to heredity and

genes. The need to achieve, including ambition and inclination to work hard towards goals

is an example of that. All these points simply prove that there are very many traits in our

personality that are due solely to heredity, others only 50%, but either way, genes take a

big role in our development.

Secondly, we can see just by observing ourselves just how much our parents genes

affect our decisions. No matter how much we fight it, our reactions to certain situations

are very much like our parents, it can even explain our differences from other people. I am

a perfect example. I am growing up in world were smoking and drinking aren't a "cool"

thing to do, they are just done. Everybody does it, sometimes without even giving it a

thought. It has become routine. Both my parents grew up in Christian homes and had

values and morals coming out their ears. Neither one of them ever even tried smoking or

drinking once. They had next to no friends who did these things, so that also made it

easier for them to deal with the pressure. I have been born into a world where 95% of my

friends smoke, drink, or both, I am exposed to it all day constantly, and yet I find that I

have not