Sam Owen – Nature vs. Nuture
When considering nature and nurture, it is impossible to select one as the main influence on development, for one cannot exist without the other, and both are paramount in determining aspects of a person. Without a genetic code, there is nothing to nurture, and without an environment, and organism can never form. In development, nature sets conditions and capacities while nurture responds to these operants and determines the extent to which limits are reached. However, some traits depend on one more than the other. For example, height is primarily determined by genetics assuming that a minimum level of nutrition is met, whereas obesity, although some people may have genetic predispositions to fatness, is primarily determined by food and activity. Intelligence, in the traditional sense, is an example of a trait that receives huge influences from both nature and nurture. This can be observed between my siblings and me. We differ in interests and levels of ambition. However, we all share similar appearances, mannerisms, and personalities to a degree. In short, the issue of nature vs. nurture is far too complicated to choose a single side.