RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT
The question
whether heredity or environment is more important in moulding the personality
is really meaningless. It is now rather generally accepted that both heredity and
environment jointly shape a person’s abilities, skills and personality
characteristics. Heredity is a very important factor in the development of
personality. There can be no development without heredity as there can be no
structure. Something more and equally important is required to raise the
edifice. That something more is environment without which development is a
meaningless term. Every phenomenon of life is the product of both these
factors. Each is as necessary to the result as the other. Neither can ever be
eliminated and neither can ever be isolated. Both are equally important and
indispensable. They are complementary and support each other.
In
judging the relationship between heredity and environment, now it can be said
that it is absurd to make statement like heredity or environment. The either and
or relationship between these two terms does not exist. It is always heredity
and environment. It is said that heredity deals the cards but environment plays
them. Heredity sets the probable biological limits, whereas environment
determines the level upto which the development is possible. The inherited
potentially always acts through the environment and the result of the joint
action of nature and nurture is the personality of the individual as seen by
others. The greater the potentiality and the more favourable the environment,
greater will be the result of the joint action.
The
personality of an individual is not just the sum total of his heredity and
environment. The relation of heredity and environment is not like addition, but
more like multiplication. The personality does not equal heredity +
environment, but does equal heredity x environment
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