Ah, yes, the classic problem of nature vs. nurture. How much of our actions, our personalities, our perks and our quirks are the product of the environment we develop in, or the genetics that define us? How much can you blame on the circumstances of your birth, and how much can you blame on the circumstances of your life? There is no solid answer to this question, I think. Very few things will ever be as black and white as that. But for this particular question, I have, at least, an opinion. An opinion that is admittedly only backed up by anecdotal evidence and has no science with which to reinforce it, but an opinion asked for is an opinion given.
I do not believe that society trains us to be startled by the unusual. Rather, society defines what is usual by giving us constant exposure to what we consider to be day-to-day things. Human beings are incredibly adaptable creatures. We've expanded to almost all corners of the globe through our technology, but even before modern times, humans lived everywhere from Alaska to the rain forest, running off the same genetic material. We grow up intrinsically adapted to our initial environment, but retain an ability to adapt to radically new environments very quickly. I believe part of that adaptability comes from the fact that we are able to be startled by the new and the unseen. (end of time)
No comments:
Post a Comment