Eesha Week 12: Our Biggest Influence
Throughout the course of our lives, big or small, we encounter numerous things that have an impact on us. One of our biggest influences are our parents. All individuals with a family are born to a mother and father who have their own personalities and characteristics. Acquiring physical traits as offspring are a given but adapted personalities can dictate the course of our lives.
If a certain child has a short-tempered father or mother, chances are they are short-tempered also. Without even realizing, as we grow older, we absorb the attributes of the people we are surrounded by. That's why the quote "show me who your friends are, and I'll tell you who you are '' is so famous, because it is known to be true. We truly become the company that we choose to surround ourselves with. But even more than our friends, it is our parents who we spend the majority of our lives with. Unconsciously we pick up on their behaviors and communication styles, absorbing these and making them our own. In our daily activities these characteristics come to light, and resemble the personalities of our parents.
Although we cannot choose our parents, we can make the active choice to place ourselves in positive environments as much as possible. Little things that go overlooked, like the youtubers we watch or the influencers we follow on social media have the power to exude their qualities upon us. Therefore, being mindful and intelligent about the things we allow as a part of our life, needs to be a priority as they can ultimately define who we are
Hi Eesha! I really enjoyed reading your blog as you touch on a fundamental aspect of human development and influence, highlighting the large impact parents have on shaping their children's personalities and behaviors. Your analogy of children mirroring their parents' traits, whether consciously or subconsciously, is a powerful analogy that is true and resonates with me and multiple readers. You effectively emphasize the significance of parental influence by illustrating how children absorb and reflect their parents' characteristics throughout their lives. The quote, "show me who your friends are, and I'll tell you who you are," cleverly ties into the discussion, reinforcing the idea that our environment plays a pivotal role in shaping who we become. However, to further enrich your blog, you could discuss the nuances of how parental influence manifests differently in various cultural, socioeconomic, and familial contexts. Additionally, you could explore ways individuals can navigate and reconcile inherited traits with personal growth and self-discovery. Overall, I liked your eloquence and depth and I look forward to reading your work next quarter!
ReplyDeleteAfter learning about the topic of human development in my psychology class, this blog has become much more intriguing than it would've possibly been a couple weeks back. Parents--both genetically and environment-wise--probably have the greatest influence on us. Recall what many psychologists have discovered during their process of studying development, nature and nurture work together to influence us. While we may share many of the traits are parents have, the way they choose to raise us, like parenting styles, also have really shaped our personalities. For instance, a person who grew up with authoritarian parents could end up being more submissive and indecisive since their parents raised them in a controlling environment, along with their very indecisive and unpredictable behavior. I guess that suggests that parents are much more powerful than we truly think.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you not only brought up how our parents could be possible influences, but also the possibility that people such as our friends, content creators, and celebrities could affect our personalities. The thing that you have pointed out about this specific power as well, is how subtle it is. As you have mentioned, "without even realizing, as we grow older, we absorb the attributes of the people we are surrounded by." That, to me, is what genuinely makes development such an interesting and complex process. We do not just become born and grow by gaining new knowledge, we also end up absorbing other people's authorities and power as we develop into the people we are today. This was a nice way to end off this quarter's theme, and I look forward to seeing similar ideas as I read your future blogs on our new theme.