Sexuality and sexuality theories address whether human nature is innate or can be changed by acquired factors. The case of serial killer Yoo Young-cheol and the movie About Kevin are used to illustrate how innate tendencies and environmental factors influence human behavior. Examples from intelligence research are also used to discuss how nature and nurture affect intelligence development, concluding that human traits are shaped by the interplay between nature and nurture.
We’ve all heard of the theories of nature and nurture. The question of whether human nature is good or evil has been an important topic in both Eastern and Western philosophy. The theory of virtue is that humans are inherently good, and with the right education, this can be developed further. Mencius is a prominent proponent of the Sung theory, which argues that humans are born with an innate sense of altruism. On the other hand, the Sung school of thought believes that humans are naturally selfish and evil and need to be cultivated through social discipline and moral training. Sun Tzu believed that humans are born with selfish desires and can only grow into desirable human beings through education and training.
Although these seemingly opposing theories, they share an important commonality. Both theories share an important commonality: they believe that human nature, though innate, can be shaped by acquired efforts and circumstances. Both the sexual and moral theories emphasize that humans must control themselves and strive to live a good or morally upright life. But are human characteristics really determined by our innate nature, or are they determined by our acquired environment and upbringing? To better understand this, let’s look at two examples that have gained social attention.
In 2004, a man named Yoo Young-cheol made waves in South Korea when he went on a serial killing spree, brutally murdering more than 20 innocent people, and was later determined to be a “psychopath” with antisocial personality disorder. Psychopaths are typically characterized by a lack of moral ethics or guilt. They lack emotional connection in relationships, and they tend to be cold and selfish. Since Yoo’s case became publicized, South Korean society has become very interested in antisocial personality disorders such as psychopathy and sociopathy, and there has been a lot of publicity about unreliable tests for psychopathy.
In general, people believe that sociopathic personality disorders such as psychopathy and sociopathy are genetically inherited. In fact, many criminal psychologists believe that antisocial personality disorders are traits that emerge in childhood and do not easily change into adulthood. This is because children with antisocial tendencies tend not to understand moral standards or feel guilt from an early age. However, some research suggests that these tendencies can be heavily influenced by acquired factors, such as upbringing, as well as genetics. In other words, even if we are born with them, our environment and upbringing can play an important role.
Another example often cited to illustrate this is the movie Kevin. It was released in 2011 and is based on the novel of the same name. The movie centers around the relationship between Kevin and his mother, Eva. From a young age, Kevin resents his mother and does things to intentionally annoy her. He ignores her by not answering her calls or deliberately repeating the word “no” when she calls him. As he grows up, Kevin’s erratic behavior leads him to commit dangerous acts, including killing his brother’s hamster and injuring him by putting dish soap in his eyes, but he feels no guilt. Eventually, shortly before he turns 16, Kevin kills his father and brother, and attacks his schoolmates in a massive rampage.
On the cover of the Korean translation, Kevin is labeled a sociopath. But was he destined to be a criminal from birth? To answer this question, we need to look at the behavior of Kevin’s mother, Eva. From the time he was born, Eva treated him neglectfully, carrying him instead of holding him, and standing next to a construction site to intentionally make the noise louder to drown out his cries. Crucially, Eva says to Kevin, “I would be happier if you weren’t here.” These behaviors suggest that Kevin’s deviant tendencies may be both innate and acquired.
On the other hand, one human trait that is widely recognized to be strongly influenced by environment and nurture is intelligence. Research on intelligence shows that it can be modified by environmental factors in addition to genetics. According to Richard Nisbet’s book Intelligence, IQ tests were originally developed to predict academic achievement, but have since become a way to measure intelligence. Nisbet explains that while IQ is determined in part by genetics, environmental factors also play a large role.
For example, studies in which IQ tests were administered in a child’s early years and then measured again years later have shown that IQ can vary not only by genetics, but also by educational environment, parental attention, and family economic support. In particular, smaller class sizes and better-qualified teachers tend to be associated with higher IQs. This is a good example of how education and environment can affect intelligence.
Taken together, we can conclude that traits such as personality and intelligence are not simply determined by our innate nature, but are influenced by our environment and upbringing, and are highly changeable. However, there are many other human traits besides antisocial personality disorder and intelligence. How much of these traits are influenced by the environment is still a matter of research.
As you can see, we are exposed to our environment from birth and are influenced by it. The question of which is more important, nature or nurture, may still be a difficult one to answer. However, the value of these studies is that they can contribute to the search for better parenting and education methods.
