Research indicates that the characteristics we are born with have much more influence on our personality and development than any experiences we may have in our life. Which do you consider to be the major influence?

In recent years, a debate regarding the determinants of personality has emerged.
In particular
, some researchers argue that inherited characteristics have the most influence on
people
,
while
others say that experiences in life have the greatest effect. In my opinion, it is a mixture of both, but principally experiences are the determinants of development for
people
. In
this
essay, a brief explanation of the matter will be given. It is undoubtedly true that genetics can have an important role in development.
In particular
, some personal characteristics are important in determining the path of life of
people
.
For instance
,
someone
particularly talented in mathematics can pursue a career in that field,
whereas
someone
that has more difficulties cannot do it.
Furthermore
,
people
have some sort of natural personality, which can influence their choices and how they react to different situations. An example could be how
people
react to failure, with
someone
that gets depressed and others that see it as an opportunity to grow.
On the other hand
, it should be considered that experience has a recognised role in human growth. Many studies suggest that the environment, which comprehends experience, is a major factor in explaining human behaviour. An instance of that can be seen in studying criminality, which has been linked with economical difficulties and not some sort of natural predisposition to it.
Moreover
, everyone knows
someone
that underwent some change in his life, even if it seemed impossible beforehand because of their personality. In conclusion, I think that both factors influence human development, and they should be both taken into account in
this
field of study. As stated above, not only experience is as important as genetic inheritance but
also
it can help explain some developments that are not explained by personal characteristics.
Submitted by formaggio124 on

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Answer the 'Advantages and Disadvantages' topic

IELTS advantages and disadvantages questions normally give you a statement and ask you to comment on the advantages and disadvantages of that statement.

Answer structure for the type of essay

  • Introduction
  • Body paragraph 1 – advantages
  • Body paragraph 2 – disadvantages
  • Conclusion

Examples to start your body paragraph:

  • The main advantage is...
  • The disadvantage of this...
  • The main benefit...
  • Despite these advantages...
  • One possible drawback...

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Topic Vocabulary:
  • nature vs. nurture debate
  • genetic inheritance
  • personality traits
  • behavior patterns
  • heritability
  • twins studies
  • malleable characteristics
  • upbringing
  • environmental influences
  • critical periods
  • language acquisition
  • worldview
  • innate traits
  • personal experiences
  • psychological development
  • epigenetics
  • adaptive behaviors
  • cultural imprinting
  • temperament
  • social conditioning
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