My mother can’t stand the sight of cats. When she was 5 years old, she adored them, but after a particularly aggressive one scratched her forehead and she was taken to the hospital to get 17 stitches, she never felt comfortable around them again. Her inherent opinion on a topic changed after one particularly memorable experience when she was 5 years old, and almost 45 years later, her opinion on cats stands strong. 

However, trivial facets of one’s personality (such as whether or not they’re a cat person) aren’t the only traits that evolve over time. There are several habits I have I can trace back to particular events, and quite a few mannerisms I’ve picked up from friends have become an integral part of who I am. If I didn’t move from Indianapolis to Carmel, if I didn’t live in the same home I do now, if I had been raised differently, if I had different friends– I would not be the same person I am now. I understand I am predisposed to certain traits, but all in all, I and everyone else are chiefly influenced not by our nature but the way we are nurtured.

Every human being possesses an incomprehensible amount of genes that determine what they look like, how their body processes certain things, their gender and sexuality and much, much more. To a certain degree, these genes also determine their personality. Newborn babies who lack experiences and long-term memories are purely made up of natural traits. However, as time goes on and people experience more and more events, their personalities begin to change. Topics they used to like or dislike can either grow on them or become oversaturated. While DNA and genes once provided a blueprint for people’s behaviors, those behaviors change over time based on the way people are nurtured.

Additionally, over the course of people’s lives, they can only be influenced by what they are exposed to. They can only pursue careers they are made aware of, they only know of opportunities that are accessible to them and where they live and their financial situations make certain things either possible or impossible. 

Even if two people had completely identical predisposed interests, the trajectory of their careers (and therefore many of their experiences and traits) could go in entirely separate directions based on whether or not they can attend college, where they reside and the level of education they can afford. 

Sure, several aspects of one’s personality are encoded within their DNA. According to Psychology Today, human beings are equally influenced by their genetics and environment. But from a practical and logical standpoint, setting genetics aside, I would argue the way people are nurtured is more influential than their inherent nature because people have the capacity to change. 

My mother may have grown up loving cats, but her “nurturing” changed this fact in under a minute. This kind of example is applicable to most aspects of people’s personalities, and for this reason, “nurture” will always trump “nature.”

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Evelyn Foster at efoster@hilite.org.