Human nature versus nurture: a reflection

Journal Reflection 4

The readings showed very clearly that all people are not born the same. We are born unequal, different environments, different IQs, different social statuses and different biological makeups. The fact that all people are born different brings up the ethical question, if we are all different, then should we all be treated the same? For example, should a child with an IQ of 140 and a child with an IQ of 100 be in the same class being taught be the same teacher the same way? Of course not, this is why we have invented gifted programs and AP courses. The children who are genetically smarter than others are going to be taught at a higher level. This shows that our human nature has lead us to give “ gifted” individuals what could possibly be an advantage in the field of education. And this is not only done in education but in sports, music, arts and almost all aspects of human life, those who we expect to excel at something are going to be given a better chance. Our human nature has led us to categorize people based on their abilities and talents. Many people may see this as unethical but I believe that this is how it should be. However, I believe that those who do not immediately fit the “ gifted” profile should be given the opportunity to prove themselves as worthy of the advantages that others are given.

People are not born innately good or bad. People are born and are then shaped by their experiences. A person’s personality is something that can very well be developed early in their childhood but it does just that, it develops. We are not born with personalities they must develop based on our experiences and the way we react to certain situations in our lives. This leads me to believe that most of us are born neutral with the few exceptions being those born with chemical imbalances leading them to develop mental disorders. As far as nature verses nurture goes I believe that nurture often overrules nature. However my definition of nurture is not simply how someone was raised, it is all of a person’s life experiences put together. For example two brothers can grow up in the same house being raised the same way but when the two go their separate ways from the home their experiences will drastically change and these experiences will shape them.

In my eyes, human nature is not a set standard that is equal for all humans. Every individual has their own human nature and is going to react to certain things a certain way. That being said, I believe that people can change, for better or for worse, that a bad man can become good and certainly that a good man can become bad. I believe that all people have the opportunity to be good people but the way they that react to their experiences will ultimately decide their fate.