It is important to note that many complexities of human development and growth can be attributed to the mix of influence of nature and nurture. The latter refers to the environmental and social forces shaping how an individual becomes the way he or she is, which means that there is an element of malleability to be considered. Nature mostly addresses the genetic makeup of each person, creating a more rigid and static framework, which translates into unchangeable aspects of human nature. Thus, nature encompasses hereditary factors and genes, whereas nurture is comprised of environmental variables.
The discussions and debates on the topic of nature and nurture are critical since they can have an impact on the criminal justice system, laws, policies, healthcare, and other key areas. On the one hand, nature describes human behavior as a direct byproduct of genes and hereditary factors (Cherry, 2022). For example, a person engaging in an eating behavior would be a prime demonstration of nature since hunger is biological and genetic. On the other hand, nurture claims that human actions are the result of environmental variables, such as childhood experiences, culture, social relationships, and upbringing (Cherry, 2022).
For instance, an individual’s use of language is determined by nationality and the society in which he or she was born and raised. The debate is of critical importance because behaviors caused by nature cannot be changed, which means they need to be worked around to ensure that they are non-harmful or useful (McLeod, 2018). However, nurture-related behaviors can be altered by changing the most impactful environmental factors, such as addressing poverty through education.
In conclusion, nurture consists of environmental variables, but nature encompasses hereditary factors and genes. It should be noted that nature mostly addresses the genetic makeup of each person, creating a more rigid and static framework, which translates into unchangeable aspects of human nature. However, nurture refers to the environmental and social forces shaping how an individual becomes the way he or she is, which means that there is an element of malleability to be considered.
References
Cherry, K. (2022). The nature vs. nurture debate: Genetic and environmental influences and how they interact. Very Well Mindful. Web.
McLeod, S. (2018). Nature vs. nurture debate in psychology. Simply Psychology. Web.