Nature Vs. Nurture

This controversial issue brings up the question of whether we inherit traits that make up our personality and behavior, or if they are influenced by our environments and experiences. Personally, I think there is a mixture of both. Certain aspects of our personalities seem, to me, to be oddly similiar to those of our parents. Others have been developed as we've spent time around our friends and even strangers. For example, the pressure to fit in with the crowd can ultimately change how we act around people. Everybody wants to be accepted, and conforming to the "norm" appears to be the only option for many. By doing so, some amount of the personalities and unique attributes of our peers become part of our personalities, as well. However, there will always be those special traits that we were born with; the traits that are much more difficult to change.
This issue of Nature versus Nurture has been examined with twin studies. In this case, the twins were obviously born together, but then separated and raised apart for much of their life. Their personalities tend to be extremely similar, right down to what their favorite food is. On the other hand, their life histories are completely different because of where and how they were raised. Therefore, they have similarities and differences in their personalities.
Overall, I believe that both nature and nurture have a large effect on the way somebody behaves. It may be that genetics plays a larger role than environmental influences, but these influences play their part, too. I know it has influenced who I am today, because I act much different than I had when I was younger. I was a shy, soft-spoken girl with very few friends. Today, I interact more with people and I am able to express myself in ways I didn't think about before, all because of what I have been exposed to. In contrast, some things never change; I am still that shy, soft-spoken girl that I've always been.