[HPforGrownups] The effects of the Dursleys on Harry (Was: Dumbledore on the Dursleys in OotP )

[catherine higgins]

No: HPFGUIDX 151098



justcarol67 <justcarol67 at yahoo.com> wrote:    And my second question is, do you really think that he was born with
these traits and did not develop them through interaction with his
environment? 
   
  Catherine now:
   
  I can't believe that the old nature vs nurture debate is still raging along. Drove me crazy in my sociology class :-) Anywho...
   
  It's both nature AND nurture, in every case. But rather like genetics, it will depend on how dominant and recessive parts of the personality interact with the environment. 
   
  Take Harry for example, he has every virtue that Carol mentioned up thread partly because it was in his nature (e.g his bravery and wanting to save people) and his environment (eg: humility, learned from his being bullied and tormented). I would add empathy as well if you didn't already Carol. 
   
  Tom was raised in a neutral environment, not full of love, but at least appeared clean and safe. His personality was a stronger pull than his environment. Had he lived with the Dursley's he might have been even meaner as a child.
   
  It's never a consistant thing between nature/nurture, never 50-50. Too many things interchange that it would be impossible to really predict any outcome. Just look at identical twins, same genetics, same parents, different personalities. However, studies have been done that twins who were seperated at birth, as adults when they met, had many things in common, despite the fact that they were raised seperately. 
   
  Harry had strong enough character traits that kept him grounded, despite his upbringing. He has a sense of self, and thankfully never believed what the Dursley's thought of him was really who he was. Had it been Neville who went to live with the Dursley's, who knows what would have happened. They might just have managed to squash the magic out of him. James' over-confidence turned up as good and normal self-confidence in Harry.
   
  Catherine

		
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