Oct 31 2009
The Nature – Nurture Relationship
For too long questions about the cause of human behaviors were phrased in the form of nature or nurture. Either innate characteristics (via genes) or learning experiences (environmental influences) were ultimately responsible.
But nature and nurture are not completely separate, conflicting entities, akin to fighting siblings. Thanks to such things as twin studies, an improved analogy would portray nature and nurture as close twins, both always on the spot, sometimes acting in opposition, sometimes enabling the other.
And speaking of twins, a number of twin studies has both helped to clarify the complicated relationship and also fueled controversial thinking about nature and nurture. Genetic studies, too, have had a say. A couple important points deserve highlighting.
1) Without nature there is nothing for nurture to guide and shape.
2) Nurture can actually change nature through epigenetic mechanisms.
A recent twin study into leadership behavior precipitated my thinking into this matter. The article, Do your children push the boundaries? It may be a sign of future leadership abilities study shows contained this summarizing statement:
The study adds more weight to the idea that leaders are raised more than they are born.
I wonder how helpful is the “nature/nurture more than nurture/nature” language. The two are so fully intertwined — in more ways than we currently comprehend, no doubt. Perhaps they ought to be viewed akin to conjoined twins that share one beating heart. How much sense does it make to separate them?
