The interesting thing to me is that while Pinker is discussing how little parents shape their children's intellects and beliefs, he mentions how he grew up in a rich environment with books and had parents who taught him the value of voicing opinions based on scientific thought and not based on hurting people's feelings. Meanwhile, he seems to be living the life of someone with this exact view and admits that he doesn't know if this is because of genetics or upbringing. In all likelihood, who we are is a combination of our genetics and our upbringing and i definitely do not think that parenting is overvalued. If anything, it is undervalued.
Discuss
Arnold Stillman on January 7, 2008, 3:49 PM
Parents may provide means and opportunity for child development, but they do not provide the template for that development, inheritance aside. Good kids can come from broken homes and bad kids from good ones. It is at cross purposes to argue that parental influence is underestimated; it is undervalued for its provision of security and well-being and overvalued for its donation of genes.
Valerie Hounsell on January 27, 2008, 3:30 PM
my husband passed when both my children were very young. My son, with limited parental influence from his father has virtually become his father and the similarities were apparent from a very young age. I think, with absolutely no other basis than my own personal experience, that genetics play a much larger role in personality and intellect, than some may think.
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