Is a person's disposition in their genetic makeup?

Question

I was having a debate that someone's disposition is based on their current circumstances and not defined at birth.

Answer 1

Actually, there has been a lot of excellent research done on this topic.

Some of the best of the research has compared twins raised apart with twins raised together. If heredity is primary, the twins raised apart should be very similar in personality. If environment is primary, they should be very different.

The results consistently show that genes and environment are about equal in their influence, in the range of 40% to 60% each.

The web site below is very helpful and detailed. You might want to check it out.

Answer 2

I personally believe a large percentage is due to our genetic makeup. We are born 'wired' a certain way. You can see this with young babies. Some are inherently more relaxed and easy going, while others are high-strung and less tolerant.

That being said, the environment next comes into play. Life's circumstances and parental upbringing alter the natural disposition - for the good or to the detriment.

Answer 3

I like to use the analogy of tree, if there is no building or other tall tree around, a tree will get to grow and spread its foliage or branches in a even spread umbrella. If it is prune or cut by a human using sissor, it can be encouraged to grow into unsual shape and convolution. In a forest where there is competing tree for sunlight, water and breathing space, the tree will either grow tall and thin until it soar above the competition or withered from lack of resources. Such is life, we are shaped by the people, environements. If everything is in our favour, we grow to fit the potential our genetical marker allowed us. Also each individual has unique genectic patterns that may confer them certain adavantage or disadvantage to certain enviroment and conditoins or be vulnerable to certain kind of condition. Hope this help.

Answer 4

not entirely. There are lots of reasons for a persons disposition. Too many for me to go on about. To find out more about genetic makeup look up biopsychology.

Answer 5

Nature or nurture? I have a neice who was adopted, she is now 8. Although she is heavily influenced by strong family members, she always shows a side of her personality that is nothing like our broad family traits.

She's giggler, she's highly strung, two charachteristics that are nowhere else in our make-up. She has definite preferences and she reacts to situations remarkably different to the rest of us.

She has adopted none of our facial expressions, quirks or passions. And yet, even though she has never met her birth mother, she displays distinct and strong charachteristics of her mother who is no relation to us whatsoever.
So my answer in this case is nature over nurture.

Answer 6

Not defined, but influenced. I've always thought of it as the DNA is the piece of music you're born with. The Environment is the pianist. Each is important and highly influential.

Answer 7

I agree that a person is what they make of their environment. There are four girls in our family with kids and we mother our children differently. My oldest sister is mad all of the time. I'm the happy one. The next in line is the town cryer and thinks everyone is out to get her. The youngest needs petted on all of the time, cusses, steals and does drugs..

Answer 8

maybe. i will not go into that scientific debate, but will tell you this: we are what we are, and yes, I think that we are the way we are at birth, not circumstances. How we react to them, is also designed at birth. It has nothing to do with circumstances.

Answer 9

The nature versus nurture debate, I don't think it's either one or the other they're ingredients in the make up of life - both are important and couldn't say which is more important.

Answer 10

my parents disposition is nothing like mine. they are outgoing and get along well with people. i dont.