Ross Blair, “Nature and/or Nurture. The Dilemma.”  The Nature vs Nurture debate is a classical psychological and philosophical argument concerning the relative contributions of heredity and environment in shaping our human behaviour and personality.

The wonderful progress in Genetics and the complete sequencing of the human genome has given us a better understanding of our development and the passage of many characteristics and conditions through the generations, for the benefit of us all. However, when researching human behaviour, such as intelligence or psychopathy (the warrior gene), there has been considerable controversy, which has delayed and prevented progress.

Nature refers to the biological and genetic influences that shape who we are – the traits and tendencies that are pre-wired through inheritance and other psychological factors.

Nurture encompasses the environmental influences that shape development after conception, including life experiences, learning, as well as social and cultural exposure.

Ross Blair has been a member of the Remuera u3a since 2013 and has served as President, Convenor of the NZ History group and attends the General History group meetings. He is a retired Thoracic and Vascular Surgeon, and has a long interest in Military Medicine and Medico-Legal matters.