Matthew Greiner

Nature vs. Nurture

I am a firm believer in people turn out the way they do because of the environment that they grow up in. Most of the people that I have come across in life that have had a drug problem or mental problem have reasons for the way they are. For example, most of my former friends from my home town are frequent users of multiple types of drugs. Most if not all of them have serious issues with their home life. One of my friends father has a drug problem and is frequently in trouble with the law. Another one of my friend’s mother has had M.S. for years now. Weather it be financial issues at home or sickness I believe all of them are users because of there surroundings and their inability to cope with their problems.

I believe that my two older brothers have trouble with their emotions because of my father being an abusive alcoholic for several years. I am proud to say that my father has been sober for almost 10 years, but the repercussions of his prior actions I feel will effect my brothers for the rest of their life.

The fact that I have a strong sense of what to do in my life I can credit to my brothers. It is not the fact that I learned what to do in many cases, mostly learning what not to do. Consciously and subconsciously their actions have had a great impact on my personality and behavior.

In conclusion, I am not ruling out the possibility of nature having to do with the actions of people. In my personal experience the surroundings of a person have the biggest impact on their behavior and actions.