Nature and nurture

A human is not only influenced by genetic heredity but also by the environment – of ‘nature and nurture’. Coined by the English scientist Francis Galton in 1869, the phrase, alongside epigenetics, has revealed how differences in mental and physical states of people exist. Certain physical traits like skin and eye color and diseases like sickle cell anemia and Huntington’s chorea have been found to be the result of direct genetic inheritance whereas virtually any pattern of thinking or behavior can be understood from the perspective of a combination of nature and nurture.

Image source: https://www.youthvoices.live/2018/02/22/nature-is-nurture/

On the one hand, the two provide humans with the benefit of decreasing the chance of developing hereditary diseases. For example, if you are at risk for heart disease or diabetes, eat a healthy diet and exercise. If you are at risk for other conditions, for instance, breast or colon cancer, get regular health screenings like mammograms and colonoscopies per your doctor's recommendations. Besides, as with most human traits, intelligence is now considered to be the result of some combination of both nature and nurture. While genes have a great influence on the size and biochemistry of the brain, its full development does not usually occur until after the first 20 years of life. Though the level of cognition may be a gift from ancestors, intelligence as well as subsequent learning is viewed as being largely molded by the environment the person grows up in, both before and after birth.

On the other hand, negative environmental effects can trigger more genetic expressions, especially the illnesses. Take the secondhand smoke for example, children who are exposed to it may develop cancers more often and easily than those who do not have that experience. In addition, many people are likely to suffer from disorders or behaviour changes when they get in bad conditions. For instance, exposure to community violence is able to increase the likelihood of anxiety, or living with boring surroundings can give people depression and autism, even though this is usually due to having no contact with others.

In conclusion, nature and nurture have a huge impact on human’s well-being, particularly on physicality and mentality. As a result, it is clear that a bad guy can’t have had a wonderful childhood and it is learnt that feeling sorry for him is useless. Instead, the society has taken the measure of bringing him to a reformatory so that he can be re-educated.

Reference: https://www.medicinenet.com/nature_vs_nurture_theory_genes_or_environment/article.htm

Author: Nguyen Thanh Nam, High School for Gifted Students