Nurture or Nature?

Are we born the way we are, or do our experiences determine that? both? none?

personally, I feel our DNA determines the way we respond rom different stimuli (maybe even that free will is an illusion) but I do feel our experiences in life also play a part in who we become.

Such an interesting topic.but a long one.dont have time for this but my experience showed me that its both.More on the nurture tho.I think our dna is giving us a predisposition for some things, a "push" and we might not be able to change some things we feel or some of our qualities, but the bigger factor is most definately "nurture".Parents,school,tv,society and his interactions/experiences shape a human for the most part in my opinion.

Skrivet av Khal.eesi, 02.09.2014 at 18:37

Such an interesting topic.but a long one.dont have time for this but my experience showed me that its both.More on the nurture tho.I think our dna is giving us a predisposition for some things, a "push" and we might not be able to change some things we feel or some of our qualities, but the bigger factor is most definately "nurture".Parents,school,tv,society and his interactions/experiences shape a human for the most part in my opinion.

thts a nice sum up. i use to think more of john lockes blank slate kind of thinking but as i got more into biology, i saw (like you described it) genetic predispositions.

I remember in health class we talked about this and one thing that made my mind go towards genetics was when they split identical twins up from birth and when they met one another for the first time their lives were remarkably similar. One example were these two guys who both married and divorced 2 or 3 times. The wives of the first twin had the same names as the second twin and they both had a dog and named it the same name. If I can find the video i will post a link here because I was really interesting.

Depends on what you are referring to.

Skrivet av Dereny, 02.09.2014 at 22:08

I remember in health class we talked about this and one thing that made my mind go towards genetics was when they split identical twins up from birth and when they met one another for the first time their lives were remarkably similar. One example were these two guys who both married and divorced 2 or 3 times. The wives of the first twin had the same names as the second twin and they both had a dog and named it the same name. If I can find the video i will post a link here because I was really interesting.

WTF D:

DNA is just information. It defines certain rules on how we interface with our external environment. The environment itself can impact and trigger certain genes, and our genes can impact how we respond to certain environments.

Skrivet av Pheonixking929, 02.09.2014 at 17:57

but I do feel our experiences in life also play a part in who we become.

Who we 'become' is our consciousness... something entirely different. Our consciousness develops as a result of our free-will decisions and making choices.


[In AW, the strategy (PD, SM, etc.) would be the DNA (nature), the map would be the environment (nurture) and the player moves the consciousness. We 'become' or evolve by learning from our moves. The map and the strategy can influence this, but the actual 'becoming' is a result of the free will exercised in our moves.]

Skrivet av brianwl, 03.09.2014 at 16:05

DNA is just information. It defines certain rules on how we interface with our external environment. The environment itself can impact and trigger certain genes, and our genes can impact how we respond to certain environments.

Skrivet av Pheonixking929, 02.09.2014 at 17:57

but I do feel our experiences in life also play a part in who we become.

Who we 'become' is our consciousness... something entirely different. Our consciousness develops as a result of our free-will decisions and making choices.


[In AW, the strategy (PD, SM, etc.) would be the DNA (nature), the map would be the environment (nurture) and the player moves the consciousness. We 'become' or evolve by learning from our moves. The map and the strategy can influence this, but the actual 'becoming' is a result of the free will exercised in our moves.]

interesting, interesting. but about free will; i've been for the past two years wondering about that. someone brought up a point where he said free will is an illusion, nothing more than a reaction to stimuli (usually from the environment). that reaction is determined by our genetic code..... or something like that.

Skrivet av Goblin, 03.09.2014 at 06:04

Skrivet av Dereny, 02.09.2014 at 22:08

I remember in health class we talked about this and one thing that made my mind go towards genetics was when they split identical twins up from birth and when they met one another for the first time their lives were remarkably similar. One example were these two guys who both married and divorced 2 or 3 times. The wives of the first twin had the same names as the second twin and they both had a dog and named it the same name. If I can find the video i will post a link here because I was really interesting.

WTF D:

sad, but also very perplexing. the mystery of identical twins has always surprised me because of how different they are, yet how coincidental things like this occur,

Skrivet av Pheonixking929, 03.09.2014 at 16:16

sad, but also very perplexing. the mystery of identical twins has always surprised me because of how different they are, yet how coincidental things like this occur,

Not sure if they were twins ...it says they both died excatly one year appart both at age 17. So ...not twins.

Coincidences happen


Im changing my name to Hugh Williams.

Skrivet av Goblin, 03.09.2014 at 16:20

Skrivet av Pheonixking929, 03.09.2014 at 16:16

sad, but also very perplexing. the mystery of identical twins has always surprised me because of how different they are, yet how coincidental things like this occur,

Not sure if they were twins ...it says they both died excatly one year appart both at age 17. So ...not twins.

Coincidences happen


Im changing my name to Hugh Williams.

GG, you're transports will be invincible

Skrivet av Pheonixking929, 03.09.2014 at 16:15

someone brought up a point where he said free will is an illusion, nothing more than a reaction to stimuli (usually from the environment). that reaction is determined by our genetic code..... or something like that.

Free will is not entirely illusion, though many of the things people consider free will choices are in fact environmental responses. (Advertisers are masters of this).

Generally, I have found people who argue that free will is an illusion have low consciousness, and that is their experience and reality. They may rape, steal, murder, etc. if they believe there is no consequence for their actions. But most people, even if they were permitted to rape, steal, murder, won't in fact do this. They are aware, and have made a conscious choice, exercising free will, not to engage in these behaviours, regardless if some authority says it's alright.

There are lots of examples to show free will choices transcend environmental stimulus response. For instance, the genetic code tells us to eat meat from our environment in order to survive. Yet millions of people make a free will choice to be vegetarians on moral, ethical or for other reasons. Let's say you make a choice not to be aggressive and so don't hurt others, and don't eat meat. This is a conscious choice. It is not simply a response to your environment, because the choice originates in your consciousness. Prior to becoming conscious enough to make this choice, you were unaware at some level, and so yes, you were acting at stimulus response levels, and not exercising free will. Also, if you don't eat meat because all your friends don't eat meat, this is stimulus response, and is not a free- will choice.

Only by developing consciousness, do you see the importance of free will. Again, in atwar, the stimulus response environment hasn't changed as you become a better player. The rules don't change (unless the developers nerf a unit). The maps may change, but terrible players don't suddenly become superstars, and the best players don't become incompetent, when the map changes. It is the conscious decisions you make through exercising your free will in the game that guide you in becoming a better player. This is why AI doesn't 'become' better. It is acting entirely as your friend suggests... response to stimuli - exercising no free will, and so it doesn't improve.

It is no different in 'real life'.

Skrivet av Goblin, 03.09.2014 at 06:04

Skrivet av Dereny, 02.09.2014 at 22:08

I remember in health class we talked about this and one thing that made my mind go towards genetics was when they split identical twins up from birth and when they met one another for the first time their lives were remarkably similar. One example were these two guys who both married and divorced 2 or 3 times. The wives of the first twin had the same names as the second twin and they both had a dog and named it the same name. If I can find the video i will post a link here because I was really interesting.

WTF D:

:O its amazing the things that appear between identical twins. At times I want to say that it is a coincidence however, there are such a large number of them taht you begin to wonder is it really just a coincidence? When I have time im going to look for this one video on it but if you just search nature vs nurture twin stdies you will get a ton of videos also im going to chnage my name to hugh williams too

Lol u guys are ridiculous, read up on your psychology. It's both! We are born with inherent traits and behaviors that make us who we are, but we also pick up on things people do around is. Simple answer, not tht complicated as u ppl try to make it.

Omg Sultan who cares if it's both you must choose one side or its not a discussion!!

"I know not what the weapons of WWIII, but WW IV will be fought with sticks and stones"

Watch The Trap: What Happened to our Dreams of freedom
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1h02qj_bbc-the-trap-what-happened-to-our-dreams-of-freedom-1-of-3-f-you-buddy_tech
The second part talks about that and Adam Curtis is an awesome documentary maker!

Skrivet av Skanderbeg, 11.09.2014 at 11:34

To have free will, you need to have/use higher structures of your brain. Animals have only lower brain structures and they act as nature tells them (when they feel hungry they instantly start looking for food, if they get horny they instantly go search for mate, if they feel like ''going to bathroom'' they will do it right away, no matter where they are). Humans are different, we have higher/upper brain structures which gives us free will and control, so we dont attack first female when we get erection, we dont shit on the street just because ''nature is calling'', and we can be patient and not go buy food when we are working for example, we will wait for pause.

So animals doesnt have free will as nature will dictate them when to eat, mate or else. We can choose > cause free will.

Problem is, humans think behaving good and normal is hard, so they dont use upper brain structures, they use only lower brain structures and start act like animals. Then they tell you free will is illusion or a lie, which unleash the shitstorm of lies, cruelty and pain like wars, crisis, oppression and more. Looking back into history you can see that behavior and its impact on humanity, for example wars, each one worse than before, and WW2 was culmination of it, while by progressive mathematics, we should expect next war to be even worse than world war 2.

Animals can exercise free will by some definitions. If free will is 'exercising choice' from a variety of known possibilities, animals can be observed to do this. For example, i've seen a pet make a decision to get up on a couch, knowing he's not allowed on it. But he does this usually when he thinks he no one will mind. When he is told to get down, or if his master enters the room, he appears to experience guilt (tail wags little wags, ears drop) and he gets down. The decision to get off wasn't necessarily free will, but getting up on the couch was a choice.

Mostly nature, with minor nurture.

Nature sets the limitations and capability. Nurture allows you to reach them.