Nature-Nurture Argument

Nature and Nurture Argument
Have you ever wondered where you got your different talents from? Where did you get your talent for singing or your skill for playing certain sports? Were these things taught to you by your parents or was it predetermined by your genes? It is understood clearly that eye color and are physical characteristics and are hereditary. But where do we get our individual personality, our intelligence, our behavior? For some it’s not clearly understood.
The nature versus nurture issue is not new. In fact it has been around for ages, and scholars have still not concluded which of the two has a greater effect on a person. Nature, referring to heredity, is the belief of some scientists. “They think that people behave as
they do according to genetic predispositions or even "animal instincts.” Are we born with our instincts?
Some scientist has a different view of why we behave the way we do. The nurture is referring to the environment. In other words people think and behave in certain ways because they are taught to do so. These are two very reasonable explanations as to why we are the people we are today.
Each view has been researched and each view is supported with good theories as to why nature or nurture is the important influence on us.
History
The nature school of thought came to the forefront in the early to mid 20th century among European ethologists, such as Konrad Lorenz. Their studies emphasized the roles of instinct, fixed patterns of behavior, and the influence of evolution on behavior.
Relying on the experiences he had with animals he reached a conclusion. His conclusion brought intensive political resistance from American psychologists. The American psychologists strongly agree on the nurture side of the nature-nurture argument. As we know animals behavior is instinctive and by their actions he arrived at the following conclusion: “of the role of aggression in shaping human and animal societies, generated substantial controversy because of its argument, in part, that behavioral tendencies are instinctive and unmodifiable by experience.”
The nurture school of thought was championed by American psychologists, who, starting with simple models of learning, such as conditioning, argued that behavior is learned, modifiable due to experience, and not, at least in humans, constrained by evolutionary history.
While the two agree on some point thare remain some differences. This
is: The Nature Theory - Heredity
“Scientists have known for years that traits such as eye color and hair color are determined by specific genes encoded in each human cell. The Nature Theory takes things a step further to say that more abstract traits such as intelligence, personality, aggression, and sexual orientation are also encoded in an individual's DNA.”
The Nurture Theory - Environment
While not discounting that genetic tendencies may exist, supporters of the nurture theory believe they ultimately don't matter - that our behavioral aspects originate only from the environmental factors of our upbringing. Studies on infant and child temperament have revealed the most crucial evidence for nurture theories.
I must admit that the subject is one that gave a chance reflect.
In the beginning I tried to accept only the nurture theory. Then I began to look at my children and grand children. I’m 51 and 32 of those years was involved in raising my children along with nieces and nephews. I must admit I saw some things that I must say it nature the expression “it’s in your blood “, verifies it and I have used the expression. My children have qualities of both myself and my ex-wife. I taught all three of my sons how to do certain jobs. I taught them about God and lived a godly example before them. Only one followed my example and in the case of that one as well as the others I can see family traits from both her family as well as mine. The Bible says Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” This shows that train of teaching is a big part of how we develop personalities. The Bible also shows how those creatures with instinct have it imparted. We see in Matthew that the things they need is given by God. They have no choice God also give to us the major difference is we have a free-will given us by God. And while we may be brothers and sister we are
different.

Society is made up of genetic beings, and it formed because people have a genetic impulse to group together. If you were to be away from a group, and feel loneliness, that is a genetic behavior, as are all emotions. Culture is also an expression of our common trend as individuals. So it is safe to say that society, at a certain level, is a complex genetic creature, which sends messages to the other individuals, which are also in part genetic. It shows that nature can influence nurture, and vice versa, because an inherited behavior can change as time progresses. "… it is a fallacy to believe that any behavior that is genetically inherited cannot be modified over a lifetime."
Nurture has a larger effect on us than does nature. Nurture is the characteristic builder that we gain as we grow up. It is what defines our nature and makes us who we are. Nurture cultivates our nature, and it is the main regulator of our being.

http://www.animalbehavioronline.com/nature.html

Lorenz, K. 1966. On aggression. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World.

Nature vs. Nurture
Are We Really Born That Way?
By Kimberly Powell, About.com Guide