Nature vs Nurture

Mallory Kinney
October 11, 2014
Brooks
Nature vs. Nurture

Some philosophers such as Plato and Descartes suggested that certain things are born into us, or that they simply occur naturally regardless of environmental influences. While John Locke believed everyone to start with a blank slate that allows you to become the person you are nurtured into being. This begs the question do we follow certain paths in life because we want to or because we were taught to. My nature shows that I enjoy being social and interacting with people but no one in my family has a pension for business like I do which has been influenced through my friends which would be considered nurture. When discussing my degree, I believe that nurture has played a major role in my decision to choose my college major path. For several years in high school I thought I would get a medical degree in college but to fill in my elective credits I had no choice but to take some business classes. My teacher was Mrs. West, a short blonde haired lady, who spoke of her subject with so much passion it was hard not to love it yourself. She made the class fun and interactive, allowing everyone to have their own voice and give life to their thoughts. I only really delved further into it when I took her marketing and management class. It came so easily to me, it was clear that this was what I should be doing instead failing my biology and chemistry classes. I get to spend my days talking to people about things I’m passionate about and create a relationship with my customers through their thoughts, opinions, and wants. Depending on what you use your marketing degree for you are so much more interactive with the public than any other section of businesses. With this career path I feel excited for my future in it; because I know that there is no real end with my degree. I can work with several different types of companies and the job will stay mostly the same. It excites me to know that I can have an influence in what type of advertising, products and consumer service is put out into the world someday. My first steps in reaching my goal have been school and work. I take a lot of business credits that pertain to my degree. I also work for a resort that has its own marketing team and have been allowed to help them when I’m home from school. Typically, I work as a large group instructor, which means if we have a family or organization staying in our hotel it’s my job to coordinate any of their events, arrange transportation, and be available to provide anything else they would need. I enjoy the interaction with guests, especially at the end of an event when I can ask what they think we are lacking on so our company can be improved. My school work has directly related back to my job in several ways and both I love doing so they have helped solidify my want to further my education with my degree. As a marketing executive my job would be to oversee advertising and our communication with our public. I love communicating with people and seeing how I can make things better for them so this job allows me to have that kind of interaction as well as creating campaign for my company that will help sell our product. An executive position will allow me more freedom and benefits with my job than a lower position would. A few would be working from home, more vacation time, better insurance and more coverage on my family. The only drawback to this career is that not only do they require a degree but also prefer people who have had really good internships and have a lot of job experience. My next college has one of the best internship programs in the country and a 75% placement record, so I should be able to get a job out of college. When I was in high school I took one business class and ever since then I was hooked so at this point I would do a lot to continue my major. My main concern is that I won’t be able to get a good internship which would cause all of my goals to be pushed back. If everything goes right I want to have my degree in the next 3 years, my first job within 5, and work my way up to a executive position by 10 years. The only thing that might change would be my friends and I opening a business together and then I would be the head of marketing for that. In choosing my career path I was heavier influenced in nurture than nature. Several of my friends and other strong influences in my life have made this a passion of mine. I look forward to the future and finishing out my degree so I can have a job doing something I really look forward to and then working in a field I enjoy and actively want to work for every day. Nature doesn’t influence us as much as nurture does, when were born we are taught everything we know whether it be through action or words no one is born just knowing everything about themselves and the world.