Nature Vs. Nurture In The Other Wes Moore

In psychology, there is a very contentious topic called the “nature vs nurture” debate. The “nature” of the argument states that a child's personality, behavior, culture, etc. is shaped from their genes, and it is all hereditary. The “nurture” side of the debate argues that all these things are shaped from a child’s environment and experiences. The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates written by Wes Moore, supports the “nurture” side of the debate. The book follows the lives of two young boys, both with the same name, and how their environments and people around them influence their decisions and their futures. One argument for “nurture” is that our role models and the people around us have a great influence on our choices and goals. …show more content…
The people who surround us and the experiences we have in these environments shape us into who we are. The daily experiences we have, have the power shape our personalities change how we view things. Our income also have an affect on us, specifically on the different opportunities we have. Those who have a higher income have many more opportunities than those who do not. They have more of an opportunity to receive a higher education while others may not be able to afford college or must stay home to help support their families, much like the other Wes Moore. However, income does not always determine our opportunities. While Wes Moore and his family did not have a high income, Joy tried her hardest to give Wes a good education and he later went to college after going through military school. Joy’s strong affluence on her son was the reason Wes was so successful, and went on to do great things. Moore’s lack of affluence, I believe, was a big reason he took the paths that he did. While his mother did not encourage the negative choices he made, she did not do much to steer him to the right path. Having guidance and someone who believes in us and who encourages can help us all have the positive mental state to do good in life. To an extent, I do believe that other people’s opinions do determine our fates throughout life. If other people do not believe in us, it is hard to believe in ourselves. However, if we feel passionate enough about something and try our hardest, we can exceed others expectations of us and succeed in life. To do this, we have to not let people’s judgements affect how we carry on with our lives. We cannot let their actions and judgement influence us. Other people’s judgements should not matter to us, we should believe in ourselves and control our own