What makes up someone's personality? Is it genetics or is it the people you are around that effect the kind of person you are? These are questions I have always wondered. Many people would obviously say both genetic and environmental factors make up a person's personality but I often wonder which is more prominent. I would describe my personality as shy when I first meet someone but then once I am comfortable around people I am quite sociable. I like being around people but also enjoy some alone time. I love taking risks and trying new things. I like helping others and I love animals. Is this who I would have been no matter where I grew up or who my family and friends were? If I had grown up in a different household and in a different city, I wonder if my personality would have been completely different. I think that the people you are with have a lot to do with how you behave. I think if I would have had different friends growing up I would be different then how I am now. Steven Pinker would argue that it is all genetics. Who we are is determined by our genetic makeup and other people or places don't affect us greatly. On the other hand Richard Lewontin would say that it is not all about genetics and that there are other things that should be considered.
Twin studies have been a huge help in figuring out this mystery. Identical twins who have been raised in different families and in different cities often have the same personality traits. I think this is fascinating that two people who grew up apart would have so much in common that they even name their children or pets the same names. This shows that genetics definitely makes a difference in who we are. Although this shows striking evidence towards the nature side of the argument I still believe that the people you are surrounded by and the place you grow up in makes a big difference on the person you become. I think the nature vs. nurture debate is very interesting and would like to learn more about both sides of the argument in the future.
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Dear Ashley,
ReplyDeleteI have wondered this same question many many times myself. I am a twin also, and that is why this question is so interesting to me. My twin and I have pretty much done the same things through out our lives. Played the same sports, had the same friends, went to the same schools... We are essentially the same person. Except when it came to personality.
My twin is reserved and shy, while i can talk for hours and hours, and am extremely outgoing. We are also motivated by different factors. I have wondered many times about how different we are, and what was the reason for this. I want to say that genetics is the cause for this. We have shared so many of the same experiences, it would be hard for me to think that nature could be a possible explanation for our differences. Mutations occur readily in genetics, and different connections are made between synapses in the brains of different individuals. I dont completely agree with Pinker on this argument but i would say that the majority of what makes up someones personality is due to genetics.
However, looking back at the personality of my twin and I, i see many similarities. We are both very passionate individuals, we are both aware of the world around us, and we both like to have a good time. And once my brother starts to talk, he sounds just like me. lol.
But I would like to think that what I CHOOSE to do in the world makes me who I am as a person. I feel that if you have no say in how you are going to behave and act, what is the point in life. We try to do things to reach our goals, and those goals, I feel, help shape who we are as people.
I think personality is a complex interplay between genetics and environment. Maybe genetics sets a foundation for our personality, and the environment helps build it from the ground up.