When people think of the causes of personality, nature (your genetic makeup) and nurture (your environment) are two of the first things that come to mind.
Despite debate in the past, now most people are of the opinion that nature and nurture work together in the development process.
Both nature and nurture play a central role in who we are and why we act the way we do as people. However, today, we will be paying special attention to the nurture side.
What is our environment?
Our environment is a lot of things. It is the people we are around. It’s the places that we go. Even the thoughts that we have.
Just about everything that we can think of that affects us in one way or another is a part of our environment.
Our environment affects who we become.
Our social environment plays a critical role in how we evolve as people. It can either make us or break us.
If we grow up around commendable hardworking people, we will be more likely to take on those traits ourselves.
However, if you hang around negative people or people who aren’t going anywhere in life, then you may start to take on those characteristics as well.
This isn’t just a problem for high school kids being peer-pressured into drinking. This is a problem for people of all ages.
We model other people, oftentimes without even realizing it.
That means that we will take on the good or bad traits that we see exemplified before us.
It doesn’t matter whether you are 15 or 45, you need to surround yourself with the right people, because one way or another they will rub off on you. You just need it to be in a way that is positive.
This is the case with culture as well. Like it or not, you are shaped by your culture. It doesn’t matter where you are, you cannot escape it (unless you’re Amish). The beliefs and cultural norms of society shape what you do, say, and feel at least to some degree.
Our environment affects our outlook on life
A good environment will lead to improved self-efficacy.as well as a more positive attitude. Whereas a negative one will do the opposite.
Therefore, to ensure the best possible world for ourselves we need to make sure we are in control of it as much as possible.
As I stated previously, the environment is everything and everyone around us. Even the thoughts we have and the media we consume are parts of our environment.
These things drastically affect our lives, whether we realize it or not.
If all you do is watch the news you can become pessimistic. If all you do is use social media, it can make you depressed.
Because our environment dictates how we see the world, it is ideal to create the most positive environment we can for ourselves. This can greatly improve both our future thoughts and actions.
Conclusion
To succeed in life, we need an environment that promotes positive actions. That means making sure that we surround ourselves with the right people. keeping a healthy relationship with the media we consume, being mindful of our thoughts and actions, and much more.
Self-improvement is a long journey, but you can’t get there without having the right type of environment to grow it.