I took a psychology class in high school and some of the things that sparked my interest then were the Freudian theories of the unconscious and the idea of memory. Our brains influence our thinking and memory an incredible amount. In college, I think the one thing that struck me the most was the amount that our parents, genes, and environments shape us a person. I had a general understanding of nature vs. nurture, but this course went into it SO much more from so many different angles. The whole section on attachment really hit home. I have a very secure attachment with my mother, but my father is a completely different story. That explains so much about why I am the way I am. It helps explain the way I operate and the way I view others. There are obviously a multitude of factors to consider when looking at why I am the way I am, but I didn't think that my history with my parents influenced my behavior SO much. It's like me looking at myself in the mirror but seeing a different person - some things are the same, but some things are completely different. But overall, it's a more complete reflection.
Isn't it amazing how much you can discover through reading a topic and relate it so much to your own life? It really does hit home. I was also struck by the complex nature-nurture debate in this text. It was explained really well and in a way where it was easy and you were willing to make the connection.
Yes, it is very easy to think that we are reflected by environment and how our parents reared us, and this is true. We actually learned from what parents had done, and I think their behavior came from their personalities. Therefore it's likely that I can be similar to my parents in my personality, behavior, and perspective toward the world.