Assertion-A Balance Between Nature And Nurture

A Balance Between Nature and Nurture
By: Gloria Steinem

Gloria Steinem asks the controversial question of nature versus nurture in her essay; yet the part that intrigues me the most was when she discussed “what would happen if even one generation were raised with respect and without violence?” To me this seems unrealistic and unfeasible. Everyone’s goal for this world is world peace. If it were possible for 194 countries to be ‘friends’ with each other, I’m sure that would have happened by now. I am not focusing on the rest of the essay or her thesis, just the paragraph focusing on the balance between nature and nurture at the end.

What Gloria is asking for of this world is a hippie generation. She wants to ‘make love not war’. That decade has already happened and, in my opinion, not much came from it except headbands and tie dye. While I appreciate world peace as much as the next person, for her to say that’s what the world needs to clean up its act is heinous. This world needs more reform than just being friendly. Her ideas on more respect within families are needed but “without violence” is far reaching. Violence occurs in many forms: gangs, physical abuse, or worldwide conflict. Violence on just one level of the hierarchy will not solve the greater problems. She also discusses “What would happen if we listened to children as much as we talked to them?” To try and implement this view into society and families today would be disrupting the entire hierarchy built within families. This view would turn society upside down and backwards; families would be disrupted and society would cease to function. I know if my parents tried to talk to me I would be thrown for a loop; you try to take order and familiarity out of society and it will come back to bite it in the butt.

Gloria Steinem believes in creating a peaceful world; this is ideal and solves a lot of problems however, this is not feasible. If you try and change society quickly or reinstate past beliefs, society will be thrown for a loop. Society needs to be changed slowly and consistently with new ideas not past ones that have failed.

http://thisibelieve.org/essay/32/