Part 3
1)
In what ways can people in a family be similar to each other?
Both immediate and extended family members often have a lot of similarities. For
example, they can look alike. My brother Steve is the spitting image of
our cousin Peter, while my sister takes after our mother in the way she both looks
and talks.
Also, relatives may be good at the same things or do similar types of work. Most of
my extended family are either teachers or scientists.
Specific interests often run in the family. In my family, we all love the outdoors and
nature, particularly the older generation. Younger family members do like to go out
walking as well but now that my nieces and nephews are all teenagers, they spend a
lot of time on their electronic gadgets.
The final way that people in a family can be alike is in their personality, and
especially in their sense of humour.
2)
In terms of personality, are people influenced more by their family or by their
friends?
In my opinion, personality is mostly hereditary. I think that the main traits of a
person’s character are passed down from parents to their offspring. Some people are
more like their father, others more like their mother but most of us can recognise
characteristics of both parents in our own personality. For example, I’m quiet like
my dad and have my mum’s creativity.
How children are raised also affects the way they think, feel and behave as they grow
up. Kids from a happy, stable family background generally have a normal
personality. However, an unhappy childhood, which may include some form of
abuse, will definitely affect a child’s mental development and their character later in
life.
This suggests that personality can change so it’s probably true that the people we
spend time with as friends and colleagues also influence the way we think, feel and
behave. However, I don’t think that they alter our deepest character.
So in conclusion, I’d say that an understanding of personality is quite complex and
involves both hereditary and social factors.
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