What do you think most affects how a person turns out? Nature vs Nuture

Hello Miamilady, Scientifically, nurture is far more relevant to how a child develops. However, there are those relatively few who are born sociopathic. And, even they (according to many psychologists) have a greater tendency to develop sociopathic tendencies if they are deprived of genuine nurturing. According to most behavioral psychologists, the very close snuggling and nuzzling that parents (but particularly mothers) do with their infants creates a permanent imprint on the child's psyche. This is especially true in the first few months of life. The absence of this type of close physical bonding is believed to have a life-long effect on a child, rendering it difficult for a child to create close personal relationships into adulthood, and a believed difficulty in developing their sense of empathy. Although it's believed that sociopathich tendencies are likely to have a genetic predisposition, the development of the behaviors can be discouraged with nurture, structure, and the development of true boundaries as the child grows. What's interesting to note here is that most sociopaths have a higher than normal I.Q., so repressive parenting has a strong likelihood of backfiring. Of course, there are never any guarantees. To more directly answer your question, the ratio is believed to weigh much more heavily toward nurture than nature. Once again, we're reminded that parenting is life's most difficult role.

i would say that it is one of the most important parts of a child's upbringing. children tend to emulate their parents, if a parent smokes children are more likely to smoke. If a parent is a well rounded individual so the child is likely to be. All in all what is acceptable with the parent is likely to be acceptable for the child.

It is half and half. Nature and nurture both have an effect on the child. There may be a little more of one than the other in some cases but it's mostly half and half.

I think that barring any mental problems or traumatic incidents, nurture definately rules. My son has decent genes on both sides, but we've made it a point to raise hiim the best that we can. We read daily, talk to him, encourage him, love him, etc. He has responded by far exceeding any charts that the doctor has. He's happy and confident, and very intelligent, and only 16 months old! I think if the situation were different and he was being raised in a different environment, he would be a much different little boy.

This is a touchy subject and I'm probably going to get stoned for my opinion lol. The other day I saw a Yahoo article about twin boys that were like 7 years old. One had a typical boys room with boy stuff in it and the other had a pink/purple room with dolls and a teaset. The one liked to ride his bike and play video games the other liked to paint his finger nails and play dressup. The mother said the one started demonstrating "gay" behavior at 18 months. In my opinion I think the parents are either encouraging the behavior or just not doing anything about it. I don't believe ppl are born this way...I think it is a choice they make. It seems alot of ppl strive to be different... sometimes to get attention, to get back at a parent or just to seem special. Anyways, let the stoning begin. LIVE IN PEACE

I think it is a culmination of both. I know that many kids have great childhoods and are mean as snakes. Sometimes I think it is just how they are. I know my daughter was taught to be organized and clean and her room is a junk pile most times. There are people out there that had horrible childhoods and have excelled in their adult life. I guess it is the luck of the draw. I know I didn't start out too good, but now I am much better than I used to be. I guess we can raise our children the best we can, teach them the tools to survive in this society and hope for the best when they leave our nest.

I believe that nurture has far more o fan effect than nature but of course, you can have a "good" child from "bad" parents or vice versa but this is so rare that I could not believe that it is 50/50. I have seen for myself how upbringing affects people. I can honestly say that I have only ever met one child who went astray despite having good parents. Saying that, I think it is more likely for "bad parents" to produce a "good" child than for "good" parents to produce a "bad" one and that is obviously something to do with nature because the "good" child knows that his upbringing was wrong. Still, I think that the way children are brought up has the most affect on how they turn out - I certainly hope it does as we live in a low-employment, high crime area and I am bringing my kids up as well as I can!

am thinking about the same as you and it takes the kid to look at life and do with it the way they see fit alot over come bad parenting

I have to agree that that I also think it is a 50/50 deal

I agree with you !! There are many factors that will determine how a child turns out . Parenting skills take a play in this but also so do others they come in contact with , friends , people at school and even t.v . Chidlren are very much aware of what is arond them and will soak things up like a sponge , within a few years a child goes from depending on us as paretns all the time to learning who they are and deciding on what it is they believe in . They become more indepenent each year about themselves . I do beleive that parents who are terrible can still raise a child that is good in everyway . This is the influence of everyone around them , how they felt and what they feel they would like to change around them . Some parents may try the best they can and still end up with a bad child . Friends may turn them against what we try to teach them or they may see soemthing on t.v that will strike them as something they would like to do . We all think about things in different way . You could find 100 people and put them in a room and ask them all the same question and no two people would asnwer it the same because we are all different in life . I believe that part of this is determined even before we are ever born .