How do you get along on one small planet if everyone is completely different? Whoever is trying to answer these questions! And biologists, and psychologists, and neuroscientists, and anthropologists, historians, philosophers, linguists. There is a lot of controversy surrounding this topic. But let’s try to figure it out.
Thousands of books and scholarly works have been written in which authors try to explain why the human being, who carries within him the qualities of the entire human race, is aware of himself as an individual. And what, in the end, governs individual characteristics – appearance, character traits and behavior – genes, upbringing, environment or will?
These studies look at all sorts of components: height, weight, skin and eye color, nose shape, cognitive abilities, sexuality, memory, hobbies, occupational choices, etc. They, in turn, are divided into congenital, acquired and voluntarily altered.
Let’s start with the innate properties. What depends on them?
Gene (from the Greek genos, “genus”, “origin”) is a portion of a deoxyribonucleic acid(DNA) molecule. Genes determine the hereditary traits of organisms that are passed on from parents to offspring during reproduction. I.e. A gene is the basic unit of heredity, or, in more modern terms, the stretch of DNA or RNA responsible for a certain inherited trait of an organism. In all, humans have about 20,000 to 23,000 genes. A genotype (genome) is a unique combination of human genes, or an individual set of genes. Thus, a genotype is a complete set of instructions about how proteins should be synthesized in a given person’s body and, therefore, what the structure and functions of the organism should be.
Combinations of genes are absolutely unique and unrepeatable. When a child is born, he receives from his parents – partly from his mother and partly from his father – in addition to his appearance, certain character traits. But once he gets into a certain environment, he can change a lot. From quiet and shy to perky and active, from docile to rebellious.
Consider the influence of the environment. Character formation is influenced by upbringing in the family, kindergarten, school, communication with peers, the environment. Under the influence of all of the above, a person can change his or her attitudes toward people, toward work, toward his or her responsibilities.
By joining all kinds of groups and organizations, a person can radically change his views. Life experiences, individual events and circumstances definitively shape the individual. So we get people in our environment who are sociable and withdrawn, authoritarian and driven, indifferent and sensitive, etc.
But it is very important to consider another factor: the individual plays an active role in his or her own development and is not solely a product of heredity and environment. He participates in the process of his own self-improvement.
His ability to control his behavior, to mobilize all of his inner reserves – mental and physical – enable him to overcome difficulties and move forward with purpose. This is called a manifestation of will.
And here, too, self-esteem is very important. People with higher self-esteem usually achieve more in life because they set higher goals and try to solve more difficult problems.
So, a person is shaped throughout life, from conception to the most mature years. It goes without saying that it is simply impossible to find two people who are exactly alike. But how, then, is their coexistence possible?
Therein lies our choice. Despite all the differences between us, learn to accept each other as we are, not to enmity, hate, exterminate. Learning to believe in people and love them. It is that wonderful character trait that has the strongest impact on one’s interaction with others–to love regardless of differences.
This is especially evident in the willingness to participate in group activities, to foster contacts, interactions, and mutual support. It is possible if you imagine that we are all in the same boat and depend on each other. And each of us has our own unique role. That means it’s worth taking care of and protecting each other! And if not immediately, then gradually it can be learned.
