NationStates Jolt Archive

I was wondering the other day, about how weird my family thinks I am. I am completely different than them. I think different, I act different, heck I even vote different.

I don't think it's due to rebellion, not really. It's more like I am a completely different person.

I was wondering though, am I so different because they raised me in such a way that I would want to be completely different from them (kind of like learning from their mistakes) or because I am naturally a different kind of person.

The other day I took a personality test, the same one that they always give when I go to these "motivational dinner" type things with my friends, and of course I got the same score that I always get. It's so weird; nobody in my family is like that.

Anyway, just like every time I take that test I go around for a few days and analyze the people in my life, trying to figure out why they are the way they are, and today I was thinking about my kids, why are they the way they are?

Am I raising them to be this way? Are they this way because they hate the way I am? Are they just born this way?

I know that my kids are highly intelligent, and I hear it from tons of people too, but I always feel guilty when people say "oh, you are doing such a good job with them", I don't know that I am doing anything to facilitate their intelligence other than maybe hanging out with them, carting them to the library and stuff. Surely, everyone does this; my kids can't be smarter because of what I do right? Maybe they are just born more intelligent? More curious?

What about the fact that my 2 year old has this addiction to order, is it my fault because I separate and organize my animal crackers before I eat them? or was she born with a nature to sort and organize things?

I am sure it's a combo of nature and nurture, but I wonder which one has more bearing.

Anyway, long story short, why do you think you are the way you are?

Both. Stop trying to restrict my choices.

I've been reading a little too much about 'nature' over nurture lately as far as personality stuff goes. With that in mind, is there anything like 'true' free will, or are we simply slaves to our biological bodies, including our thoughts and thought processes and personalities...

Perhaps there really is no 'free will' and it's all pre-ordained, but if so, it doesn't matter, because we don't know what the results will be so we have to play it like it is freewill even if it is not.

I know this post hasn't helped at all :p Sorry about that. ;)

it is of course both and is probably impossible to tell which is the more dominant influence on which trait. Nature probably has a lot to do with sexual attraction, while nurture could liely be the reason for such things as obsession with order, but who rally knows?

I posed a question before if stupidity was nature or nurture (the thread was locked though - a reason was not given). If stupidity is nature then should we not put people down for being stupid since they cannot help it? It would be like putting down someone for being mentall or physically handicapped.

You have a nature - sin.

You can be nurtured in favor of or against that nature.

Only God can change that nature.

Okay I'm done.

An interesting look into the question is this book

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060192119/ref=wl_it_dp/102-9497616-6908962?%5Fencoding=UTF8&colid=34JJ8OO0I9Y1C&coliid=I3JP59P6J35FLF&v=glance&n=283155

Botched circumcision's and they decided to cut if off and raise him as a girl. Even when he had no reference to being a boy; he still showed common actions of a young boy.

An interesting look into the question is this book

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060192119/ref=wl_it_dp/102-9497616-6908962?%5Fencoding=UTF8&colid=34JJ8OO0I9Y1C&coliid=I3JP59P6J35FLF&v=glance&n=283155

Botched circumcision's and they decided to cut if off and raise him as a girl. Even when he had no reference to being a boy; he still showed common actions of a young boy.

As far as I know, he later came out as transgendered, declared he wanted sexual reassignment surgery etc., and then was told the story of the botched cicumcision. He was in the middle of reassignment last I heard.

An interesting look into the question is this book

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060192119/ref=wl_it_dp/102-9497616-6908962?%5Fencoding=UTF8&colid=34JJ8OO0I9Y1C&coliid=I3JP59P6J35FLF&v=glance&n=283155

Botched circumcision's and they decided to cut if off and raise him as a girl. Even when he had no reference to being a boy; he still showed common actions of a young boy.
sure he would, he was still a boy.

I swear maybe one post had something to do with what I was talking about, but the rest of them :rolleyes:

I am led to believe one of three things

1 people don't care
2 nobody read my post
3 I have a writing style that inspires people not to answer my questions.

sure he would, he was still a boy.

I swear maybe one post had something to do with what I was talking about, but the rest of them :rolleyes:

I am led to believe one of three things

1 people don't care
2 nobody read my post
3 I have a writing style that inspires people not to answer my questions.
I think the point was relevent to your post; it showed that, despite being raised as a girl and for all his life thinking he had been born as a girl, he still felt he should have been a boy. So nature won out over nurture in that case.

I think the point was relevent to your post; it showed that, despite being raised as a girl and for all his life thinking he had been born as a girl, he still felt he should have been a boy. So nature won out over nurture in that case.
my question was about personality, so while that was close, it was not specifically what I was asking about. ;)

sure he would, he was still a boy.

I swear maybe one post had something to do with what I was talking about, but the rest of them :rolleyes:

I am led to believe one of three things

1 people don't care
2 nobody read my post
3 I have a writing style that inspires people not to answer my questions.


Mental note: Don't share things with smunkeeville........

my question was about personality, so while that was close, it was not specifically what I was asking about. ;)

And are male and female personalities the same?

I believe that if you somehow were able to exposed the same person to different circumstances you'd end up with different people. However exposing two different people to the same circumstances would not give you identical personalities. Nurture makes a huge difference, but in the end you can only work with what Nature gives you.

You are who you are. It's that simple. You vote, act is a part of what you think is right. Even if its different from your family, there is nothing wrong with that!

p.s.-why is their Unreal Tournament similies on here?? :gundge:

my question was about personality, so while that was close, it was not specifically what I was asking about. ;)
Yeah, and I would say your gender is a fairly important part of your personality.

And are male and female personalities the same?
of course not, but I was talking more in terms of beliefs and personality flaws, surely being a boy isn't a personality flaw or a world view. ;)

Mental note: Don't share things with smunkeeville........

I am really not trying to be evil today, my appologies for the bitchyness.

I was wondering though, am I so different because they raised me in such a way that I would want to be completely different from them (kind of like learning from their mistakes) or because I am naturally a different kind of person.

I think it's mostly nature in this case, but I don't have any reasons to back that up with (or "with which to back that up", if you're that kind of person).

A combination. When it comes to me, I differ noticeably from most people due to nature. (no two people are born with the exact same wiring. mine is unusually far to the "male" side. the "male" side being labelled so because men on average lie somewhat further in that direction) On top of that, I am actively changing a lot of what nurturing has resulted in, (I have for example modified my emotional response in many regards. partially in order to help repair it after what I have gone through during the last few years, but also to make it suit me better. I have also been weeding out useless, irrational thought patterns) gradually "reprogramming" myself to some degree, according to my own ideals, which I have formed and am still developing very independently from society.

I was wondering the other day, about how weird my family thinks I am. I am completely different than them. I think different, I act different, heck I even vote different.
Good girl!

I don't think it's due to rebellion, not really. It's more like I am a completely different person.
Maybe it's because of your school environment?

I was wondering though, am I so different because they raised me in such a way that I would want to be completely different from them (kind of like learning from their mistakes) or because I am naturally a different kind of person.
I don't think personality is natural.. *shrugs*

The other day I took a personality test, the same one that they always give when I go to these "motivational dinner" type things with my friends, and of course I got the same score that I always get. It's so weird; nobody in my family is like that.
*shrugs*

Anyway, just like every time I take that test I go around for a few days and analyze the people in my life, trying to figure out why they are the way they are, and today I was thinking about my kids, why are they the way they are?
Why are they smarter than me? I blame you.

Am I raising them to be this way? Are they this way because they hate the way I am? Are they just born this way?
I still say it's their environment.. but aren't they homeschooled? Maybe they get their personality from you, dad, ect..

I know that my kids are highly intelligent, and I hear it from tons of people too, but I always feel guilty when people say "oh, you are doing such a good job with them", I don't know that I am doing anything to facilitate their intelligence other than maybe hanging out with them, carting them to the library and stuff. Surely, everyone does this; my kids can't be smarter because of what I do right? Maybe they are just born more intelligent? More curious?
I blame genetics.

What about the fact that my 2 year old has this addiction to order, is it my fault because I separate and organize my animal crackers before I eat them? or was she born with a nature to sort and organize things?
I think this is because s/he sees you doing that.. Like me with that nut bread roll.. I dip it in my milk.. like my moms dad.. but I never met him.. hmm.. damn you got me thinking!

I am sure it's a combo of nature and nurture, but I wonder which one has more bearing.
Bahhumbug to nature..

Anyway, long story short, why do you think you are the way you are?
Environment.

Now there, I replied. Be happy.

of course not, but I was talking more in terms of beliefs and personality flaws, surely being a boy isn't a personality flaw or a world view. ;)

As a male I will say it's a personality flaw! No male will ever go near my darling daughter! :D


I am really not trying to be evil today, my apologies for the bitchyness.
No worries. I am in a bad mood myself so I apologize as well. :)

it is of course both and is probably impossible to tell which is the more dominant influence on which trait. Nature probably has a lot to do with sexual attraction, while nurture could liely be the reason for such things as obsession with order, but who rally knows?

I posed a question before if stupidity was nature or nurture (the thread was locked though - a reason was not given). If stupidity is nature then should we not put people down for being stupid since they cannot help it? It would be like putting down someone for being mentall or physically handicapped.
Studies with twins adopted into different families have shown that genetic similarity accounts for more shared personality traits than environment does.

Studies with twins adopted into different families have shown that genetic similarity accounts for more shared personality traits than environment does.I read that statement carefully and decided it's meaningless. According to what you state, those studies only restate the obvious. What about non-shared personality traits?

I read that statement carefully and decided it's meaningless. According to what you state, those studies only restate the obvious. What about non-shared personality traits?

Well I can't site the source as it was a TV show talking about it so take it for what you will.

Two guys raised apart. They had the same bathroom ritual. It was something like wash, 2 flushes before, 2 after, wash.

It's not proof but it did make me go whoa?

What about the fact that my 2 year old has this addiction to order, is it my fault because I separate and organize my animal crackers before I eat them? or was she born with a nature to sort and organize things?

Your child may be exibiting early signs of Autism/Asperger's spectrum disorders. These are usually charicterised be lack of normal social skills, such as an inabillity to read the expression on faces. A revultion to touching others is also in there. She is probably too young for you to know with certainty, as most syptoms appear at arround age six/seven. Your children's intellegence could also be a result of these genes. Do they sow a focus on one or a few subjects at the expense of others? Sometimes, though, these charicteristics show up later in less affected indeviduals (teen years). I would find as much information as you can and watch them for charicteristics such as these. Are there scientists/engineers/artists in your or your their other parent's family? Chances of them having these disorders increase, but are not limited to, families with people in these professions.
However, nobody shows all signs, so if some appear, but not others... ahh, just get the test (Im not sure where, but it can probably be easily found using a google search).
Also, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome