Take a moment and think about your inner voice. Yes, the same one you’re using to read the words on this very page. That familiar tone which propels the narrative of thought following you (mainly unnoticed) from the moment you wake up until the moment you fall asleep. Have you ever wondered why you think the way you do, or why your reactions to external circumstances vary from that of other people’s? The majority of your life you are told that you are different and that everyone is an individual with a unique personality. But, why are we so different? How do these distinctive personalities form? Why is it that twins that are born at the same time, raised by the same parents, given the same treatment at the same schools turn out to be two different
…show more content…
Even the healthiest of minds are susceptible to the effects of the environment and the positive and negative affects it can bring. It does not mean that someone who is surrounded by negative influences will turn out inherently bad, nor does it mean that someone with a cognitive handicap can’t go out to accomplish great things. If who we are is merely a product of our biology, or external influences, how have we not “caved” to the concept of hard determinism (the metaphysical view that claims we have no free will because we are a product of factors beyond our control)? It would technically mean we couldn’t be held accountable for any of our actions. Any time we got in trouble, we could point the finger at our genetic makeup, or impactful relationships that helped steer us to making a particular decision. It’s a scary thought to say the least. I choose to believe that the debate between nature and nurture isn’t as black and white as it would seem on the surface. There are complexities of the human mind we have yet to even begin to understand. I choose to believe that a person isn’t just the sum of their hardwiring, or the product of the house they grew up in, but a blended combination of both. Explaining what makes a person, a person, is a question we may not have answered for decades to
Even the healthiest of minds are susceptible to the effects of the environment and the positive and negative affects it can bring. It does not mean that someone who is surrounded by negative influences will turn out inherently bad, nor does it mean that someone with a cognitive handicap can’t go out to accomplish great things. If who we are is merely a product of our biology, or external influences, how have we not “caved” to the concept of hard determinism (the metaphysical view that claims we have no free will because we are a product of factors beyond our control)? It would technically mean we couldn’t be held accountable for any of our actions. Any time we got in trouble, we could point the finger at our genetic makeup, or impactful relationships that helped steer us to making a particular decision. It’s a scary thought to say the least. I choose to believe that the debate between nature and nurture isn’t as black and white as it would seem on the surface. There are complexities of the human mind we have yet to even begin to understand. I choose to believe that a person isn’t just the sum of their hardwiring, or the product of the house they grew up in, but a blended combination of both. Explaining what makes a person, a person, is a question we may not have answered for decades to