Are our personality's shaped primarily by genetic or environmental factors?

Answer 1

I would have to say both, but more so genetics. I have a friend who has never met his biological father but from what his mother says he does so many of the same things that his father used to do. Has the same outlook on life, acts the same, has the same little annoying habits. She says they could be twins they are so much alike, yet they have never met. But I also think the environment you are raised in has to have some kind of influence.

Answer 2

good question,
the genetic part is something that cant be controlled, so if it never gets treated or doesnt for along time, like a genetic disorder that would progress over time, that could definitely shape personality, but environmental, like how you grow up, where, and how you're cared for i think has a much greater impact, if your taken care of well and treated well then if you do have a problem thats genetic then it would be taken care of if you had people that cared about you and understood and you trusted. i dont think genetic plays even close to half the amount environmental factors do, because how your genetic factors are treated in your environment is what really happens.

Answer 3

A number of factors. What you go through as a child will shape your personality, what your parents are like, where you were brought up, did something bad happen to you? And genetics does play a role in it too.

Answer 4

Definitely environmental. Many studies have been done on this but the best one was by Psychoanalyst Erik Erikson. His book is wonderful and explains all of the developmental stages and what a child, adolescent and adults needs are. They are known as the Psychological stages of Development. You can find more information in his book or on Google search and also Ask.com.
These are so important and very useful. Environment is so important from the very beginning of life.

Answer 5

Personality has to be influnced more greatly by environment, I am a very fair person, my father is a very fair person. I believe that genetics is sometimes mistaken for environmental factors, my father taught me to be fair, if I were adopted and lived in a stinking rich family I don't think I would be the same person.

The more I think about it the more it confuses me.

Answer 6

A lot of people will argue with this, but there has been many cases, where people adopt out their children, and then later down the road in life, meet them again, only to see the exact same personality traits that they have...part of the things we learn, of course are from our environment...but dna is dna

Answer 7

I think it is a bit of both. Since becoming a Mum, I believe parents can help and guide their children in to becoming good people. But when I see children that are left to their own devices I am aware just how raw and basic they can be without an adult to show them the difference between right and wrong, to show them what is compassion, and how their actions create reactions.

Answer 8

The nature and nurture debate still goes on to this day in psychology circles. There was one very good example to err in favour of nature (genetic) a Canadian hospital botched a circumcision in the early 1970s, removed the baby boy's penis and testicals and advised his parents to bring him up as a girl. It failed spectacularly with the man killing himself after years of trauma not that long ago.

Answer 9

Actually by your socialization, you are a product of your upbringing. Your socialization makes you who you are, you constantly grow. I have a bizarre personality, can't see Mum or Dad had it. LOL

Answer 10

This is the old nature vs nurture question. It is a bit of each.