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Nature vs Nurture

Writer's picture: Muhammad Muzammil KhanMuhammad Muzammil Khan

What constitutes most in the formation of an adult is his childhood. But the debate of what percentage of nature vs nurture determines what a child will grow up to become with respect to beliefs, habits, career etc has ancient roots. Genetic inheritance and other biological elements impact nature.  Most people think of nurture as the effect of outside factors after conception. Although there is a part of us that we inherit from our parents which cannot be changed, the conditions and the surrounding (nurture) is also equally important in the equation that produces the product; turns a child into an adult.


In our culture, nurture is usually taken for granted. People rarely believe in the ability of a person to change and are usually of the belief that it is mostly nature. But it is scientific fact that a child of some months old can be affected by the amount of body to body contact it has with its parents. Such a minute detail can have everlasting psychological affects for the child. Similarly from a very early age a child starts to notice the behavior of his parents in day to day things that the child not only absorbs, but admits as the way to do things. ‘quote’


Study suggests that children who grow up in a nurturing environment at home are more likely to become strong, capable, and functional adults. Nurturing parents are warm, affectionate, good at listening, respectful, and attend to the basic care and well-being of their children. Other than this setting up examples for children with their own actions is also important.


Parents can neglect the seriousness of every action they do around an infant because they do not realize the effects. If a parent does not want his child to be addicted to the phone but the child only sees his parent always on their phone, he will accept that it is what he is supposed to do because a child enters this life with no sense of meaning and we all find our meaning as we go on in life. Now when the child replicates this behavior he is scolded or worse. But he is never shown any more productive outlets as this is all he knows. Now the child with the context that he has, thinks I am being punished for the very things I saw my parents do.


To prioritize the well being of children parents should definitely focus on being a good example for their children as well establish an open and emotionally supportive way of communication.

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Interesting blog, Muzammil. I totally agree how nurture, despite its acceptance is usually forgotten when it comes to natal growth of children. But I also wanted to raise the point of how despite that form of negligence, once a child matures and is able to form his coherent thoughts through rationalisation and criticality, it is then when ideological indoctrination plays a vital role in their formation of personality. What I mean to say is that especially within the context of education and conflict, while a lot of attention is paid to seeing where the problems and shortcomings lie when it comes to ideological extremism in young-adults, as in through discussions surrounding educational institutions etc., natal development isn't considered as much,…

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