From where do we get our individuality?

[kvnchrist]

I was just talking to my daughter about the series of situations that lead up to me meeting her mother and what lead up to her coming about in the world. I was talking about the fact that If I'd gotten in the Navy when my dad wanted me too instead of slumming around and finally going into the Army, I would have retired after 20years on the same date that I had left the Army, after 8 years.

 

My daughter told me that If I had've went into the Navy at that time I would have never helped make her and I was wondering if that would be true. I don't mean name-wise but her makeup and the personality she was born with.

 

What goes into the creation of the personality and the skills of a person?

 

Is it hereditary or environmental?

 

 

[kvnchrist]

Screw It!

[Arcadiast]

I am sure Doctors, Scientists or similar experts working this field could give you a much better answer but I will still share my humble opinion on this matter.

 

 

Is it hereditary or environmental?

 

I believe its a mix of both but if I had to choose one as the "primary" then it would be the environment.

 

I chose it because we have seen live adapting to its environment and even the theory of evolution states that its main drive is adaptation to your surroundings.

 

From what I know of Human History, agriculture was the first giant step into civilization. Mainly because people who were always in struggle to get enough food, suddenly not only had enough for themselves but even enough for their families and others. Furthermore, they did not needed to change locations to seek new hunting grounds which made it possible for them to settle down giving them a lot of time to invest in other things. In this case it was not their genes or other biological parts that changed, at least not first, but their environment.

 

An example specificaly to this, a kid who was born before agriculture had to learn to hunt and would be constantly travelling with his tribe so it would be hard for him to develop personalities other than that of a Tribesman Hunter. Surely he would have slight variations, as we all are unique in some ways but overall, to survive in his environment he would have not that much of a choice. It would be like trying to be a fisherman on the desert.

 

Problems arise to this theory if we put it to hypothetical tests. Would Einstein still be a genius in a different Environment? Would Mohammed Ali still become "the greatest" if he were born a russian in Siberia? Would Caeser have failed if he were in Vercingetorix place?

 

This question is really very complicated and as stated earlier, I would not dream off thinking that I can give you a definitive answer but know this, you are certainly not the only one thinking about it.

 

 

Screw It!

 

also a way to answer that question i guess :)

Edited September 17, 2014 by Arcadiast

[edgeburner]

 

Is it hereditary or environmental?

 

I believe it's both....along with the social aspect, of course that could fall under the realm of 'environment'.

 

Agreeing whith what the Arcadist posted..history doesn't lend itself to revealing alternative scenarios, so, we can only speculate and exchange via theory and hypothesis...

 

We usually learn something from that. *If we are prepared to learn in baby steps, and, not to 'assume' from incomplete data*

[HeyYou]

Both, we are a product of our environment, and our genetic make up.

[Gamerbird]

Mostly you are influenced by your parents and the genetics they pass on to you during that process however the environment is a large factor as well. If you go to a school where every child is well behaved then it is more likely you will be more well behaved but in a more unruly school, you'll most likely pick up some of the bad habits from other students. its a necessary balance of the two.