Your Nature or Nurture

The idea of whether it is our genetics (nature) that plays a bigger

role in developing one’s personality & characteristics or is our
environmental factors/ the experiences one faces that shape us to
who we are today, is a long and never-ending debate. However,
according to me, it is the complex interplay of both our genetics &
the environment we were raised in that determines our traits and
personality. Before I put forward my views, lets briefly look into
each term.

NATURE
It refers to the genes or hereditary factors that are passed from
parents to their offsprings. We measure inherited traits using the
term Heritability, measured on a scale of 0 to 1, where strongly
inherited traits (eg. eye colour) are ranked 1, while one’s speaking
accent ranks at 0. Studies show that most human characteristics
are between a 0.3 to 0.6 on the heritability scale, which may reflect
the blend of both genetic and environmental factors.

NURTURE
It refers to the influence of learning and environmental factors
that affect one’s development, for the better or worse. It is still
easier to define heredity than it is to define the environment, as it
can include a factor from events, to people we meet in our lives, to
illness. However, by “nurturing” oneself by introducing good
lifestyle choices can offset certain genetic susceptibility.

So, should one believe that all of people’s mental and physical
characteristics are predetermined at birth (Nativism) or that all
the knowledge we gain in life comes from experiences, education,
and day -to- day encounters after birth (Empiricism)?
According to me, it is a blend of both genetic (nature) &
environmental (nurture) factors that shape a person’s personality
and physical and mental characteristics. In the figure above, I have
quoted examples where a few traits are more influenced by our
hereditary factor, and some influenced by our upbringing.
There are also some examples like our personality and IQ
(intelligence quotient) that evolve because of both our genetics
and the environment we were raised in.

In recent studies, the term Epigenetics has emerged as a key factor

in this debate. It includes any process that can alter (permanently
or temporarily) the gene activity without changing the DNA
sequence of a person. It shows how one’s behavior and environment
can cause changes and affect how the genes work.

So, to conclude, both nature and nurture play a significant role in

deciding the outcome of one’s life and they go hand in hand with
each other.

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