temperament, upbringing, or environment: which is STRONGER???
@creativemind755 (400)
United States
May 15, 2007 2:27pm CST
It has been said, by many who study personality types, that your natural born temperament is the GREATEST motivator of your behavior. Of course, your upbringing (your parents' influence, AND that of any siblings u may have, or anyone ELSE u were around on a regular, ongoing basis) will modify that greatly. Then, the environment in which u grew up in (whether it was urban...i.e. the "hood", SUBurban, rural, or otherwise) will also have an added effect, and cause u 2 ADAPT, in order 2 survive. But, in the end, which 1 has the MOST influence on 1's behavior? I tend 2 think it's the temperament, because that's who u NATURALLY are, while the other 2 are more circumstantial, though with your parents, GENETICS can play a large part as well. But, it's been said that 2 people of the SAME temperament, yet of completely DIFFERENT upbringings and environments, will STILL display the same reactions 2 things, and their basic approach 2 life will be quite similar.
I realize that the environment and upbringing help shape our PERSONALITY, and dictate (2 a large degree) our OUTER behavior, but in the end, it's our TEMPERAMENT that determines who we REALLY are, deep down! And, the more we come into our "own", and get knowledge of SELF, the more our natural, TRUE SELVES, emerge.
What do U think? Is 1 stronger than the others? Do they all affect us EQUALLY? Does ANY of it matter? Can we adopt ANY temperament we want, 2 GET what we want? I welcome any and ALL thoughts here!
2 responses
@AcousticSoul (1309)
• United States
15 May 07
I beleive that there are three theories which play apart in our behavior. for one the psychoanalytic approach which focuses on our early child hood experiences which effects our id ego and our superego, behavioral approach which is based on the concept of behavior is cause by the influence of our enviorment, and the existential approach, is where each persons has the freedom of choice accepting the respoinsibility of influencing the direction of our own life... to me all these theories play major part and one cannot exsist without the other... its hard to say the your internal temperment is the cause of your behavior... then what stimulates that behavoir, it has to be your enviornmental influences, your surroundings, which in includes your parental teachings, place of birth, or area in which you reside... as in behavior all we see is behavior so therefore thats all we know.
@creativemind755 (400)
• United States
15 May 07
I c your points, AcousticSoul, and they are GOOD 1's! As I said, I believe that your environment and your upbringing definitely MODIFY your behavior, no doubt! But, I feel that the temperament is the deciding factor, which explains why, like GailSeymour said, siblings are usually so DIFFERENT from each other, with all EXTERNAL factors being the same, as far as their parents, home, neighborhood, etc. I know that I'm VERY different from my sister, and we grew up in the same house, with the same mother. I have 2 male cousins, who grew up with the same mother (another single parent household) in the same house, yet 1 went the "straight and narrow" way, and is married with children, owns his own home, and makes a legitimate living, while the other 1 has been in and out of prison his entire life almost. But, I like the way u so eloquently described the different approaches. I agree, that they all work 2-gether 2 produce what others c as our outward behavior. But, in the end, it's our different temperaments that will determine the different reactions that we have 2 the exact same stimuli! Another excellent post from u, AcousticSoul. Thank u!
@gailseymour (20)
•
15 May 07
I tend to agree with you that your natural basic temperament is the biggest indicator of how you will behave in life, and can explain how siblings who share an upbringing and environment could still react completely differently to the same situation.
I think perhaps, though, the extent to which each of these factors affects us could be different for everyone.
For example, two people with similar temperaments, and outwardly similar upbringings and environments might be influenced to differing degrees by those facotrs due to degrees of extremity. Say both had strict, abusive parents, but one suffered a major trauma the other was spared, or both are from 'poor' families but one was hospitalised with malnutrition and the other marginally halthier. Even with 'similar' circumstances, the degrees of excess or severity of a situation may seem miniscule to the outside observer, but over time could have pronounced effects.
I guess in the end, it's all in the mix.
@creativemind755 (400)
• United States
15 May 07
U raise an interesting point, gailseymour. I hadn't even thought about if there was some type of trauma in the equation. I'm gonna ponder that 1 some more. U've given me some good "food 4 thought"! I guess if, 4 instance, in your example of 2 similar temperaments also having similar abusive parents, yet 1 suffers the trauma, and 1 is spared, even though they'd BOTH react in line with their temperaments, I would agree with u, in that, 4 instance, if I was always beaten, and the other person similar 2 me WASN'T, I'd certainly be affected a little differently than they would, even though just being in that toxic energy would still have a negative impact on them as well. And, I definitely agree with u, on the sibling issue. MOST siblings I've known, including MYSELF, have been like "night and day" with their brothers and sisters, growing up under the SAME roof, with the SAME parents, or PARENT! I appreciate your response. Excellent post! Thank u.
