Nature vs Nurture

Camille had never seen an animal before coming to Australia

As part of the psychology course at Kew High High, we always taught ‘The nature nurture debate’. What determines who we become, our genes or our environment? I can clearly remember the textbook explanation ‘our genes determine the upper and lower limits of our abilities and our environment determines whether we reach our potential’

Sometimes when I look at little Camille I can’t help wondering. In my mind there is little doubt that Camille’s biological parents were poor and probably had little access to education or any opportunity to fully develop what skills they might have. People in China work long, hard hours.

Therefore we can have no prior expectations about Camille, which is truly liberating. Camille might be artistic, scientific, or sporting, who knows. All we plan to do is to provide her with a rich and stimulating environment, so that she can live a happy, productive life.

When I look back at the orphanage photos, I see a quiet, alert, serious, little girl. So different from the lively, cheeky, curious, little Camille we have come to know. Perhaps those psychologists really have underestimated just what impact environment might have.