Are we inevidably products of our environment....or do we attempt to manipulate it to suit our needs?

Question

What do you think and why...give a personal example if possible.

Answer 1

It's very, very complicated. Many anthropologists believe that our ability to manipulate our environments is our primary adaptation as animals. Though, we are truly products of our environments - evolutionarily, psychology, educationally, emotionally - our environments are partially produced by us.

But, do not discount the fact that we are not the sole producers of our environments. Often people with more power - from the president to our parents - subject us to certain social and physical environments that inevitably affect our development. And other forms of life affect our world, too - we live alongside animals of all sorts, diseases shape our lives, plants are our major source of food.

The answer is both. Think of it as a cycle.

Answer 2

Depends on who you talk to. Some people blame their environment for their lack of motivation and desire to be or want more. Others use their environmental situation to propel them to greater heights. Just depends on who you talk to.