We've all heard about the nature vs. nurture debate. Are you the way you are because of your genes and chromosomes, or is it a result of your environment? Most of the time people respond with claiming that it is a mixture of the two, and opt out from taking a stance one way or the other. I may agree with this to some extent, but I feel like there has to be more of an influence from one side.

For me it seems quite obvious that nurture has had more of an influence in people's lives. Where you grew up, your family situation, your race, sex, and culture, and probably most importantly, your exposure to the media are all just some of the things that contribute to your identity.

Many parents venture to claim that they raised their kids without biases, but they have still turned out to be your stereotypical girl or macho-man boy.

But just because you dress your daughter in blue and give her GI Joe dolls doesn't mean that when she starts begging you for Barbie, that it's a result of her nature. When she goes to school and discovers that all of her friends play with Barbie dolls, how can you not expect your daughter to want to fit in? When she watches "Dora the Explorer" on TV, how can you not expect her to want similar pink-colored shirts and frilly yellow socks?

To me it seems like a continuous cycle, that is, unless you're willing to lock your children up at home with no outside exposure (which really shouldn't be the case). Seeing how boys and girls dress, look, and act whether it be on TV, in books, in the newspaper, through music, or simply by going to school and observing peers, there will always be some uncontrollable influence. You observe your peers acting one way, therefore you begin to act that way as well, causing other people who see and know you to conform. It just continues on and on.

The same thing applies to age, race, and social status. If you're raised in an extremely wealthy neighborhood with people who wear $200 shirts and expensive brand-name shoes, you will be inclined to want to wear the same thing. If they all attend Ivy League schools and put a value education and wealth over "street smarts" and real-life experience, those will become your values as well.

I think that your initial beliefs come from what your parents have taught you and how your parents act. You are around your family more than any other group of people, and what your family members agree to be of value and importance, you will generally adopt as your values as well. If both your mom and dad tend to support liberal ideas, then you will probably be raised to support the same ideas too. Although there may be some slight differences of opinions, I think you will support the same general concept.

The second most important factor is your peers. Although we may not realize it, we all tend to conform to some extent. If all your friends wear pretty, form-fitting clothing, you don't want to be the freak with men's clothing and no perception of hygiene whatsoever. Sure there are your friends with the ripped tights and hand-knitted coats, but if you look closely there's always some hint, some sort of something, that makes them like you.

I won't deny that there are certain things that are purely genetic. There are some kids who, no matter how hard they try, will always be inhibited in some way. For example, your brain may not be as fully developed as others and therefore, no matter how hard you try in school and no matter how hard your parents push you, there is only so much you can do. And although there may be more influences and more situations than I have mention, as a generally hypothesis, I would claim that nurture has more of an effect over people than anything else.