Nurture Matters More

Was Barack Obama, the one with one of the highest intelligence quotient (135) among all the presidents ever in American history, born with such a brilliant brain? Certainly, such an impressive IQ does have something to do with his gene, but is gene the decisive factor? There are some people who believe that those who are successful were just born to succeed--- it is all written in their gene. However, compared to nature (what we were born with), nurture plays a more important role in one’s intelligence.

One reason why I believe so is that it is education, one of the most important parts of nurture, rather than their nature, that shapes people to be who they are now. Apart from their race and sexuality, is there a world of difference between people when they were born? The answer is NO. Nobody was born with the ability to speak a certain language or with skills of dealing with equations. However, after several years, there is distinct difference between them. Some can be the elites that lead the world, while some may have difficulty in finding a stable job. What makes such difference? Education! While no one was born with unique ability, those who receive better education surpass their peers. In other words, it is education that makes the difference possible.

Another reason why I think nurture matters more is that, through hard work, people can compensate for the gap in nature. Think of Albert Einstein, who was not able to speak his first word until 6 years old and who was always regarded as the slowest student in his early years. Judging from his nature, who would think he can become a physicist? Who would think his theory will one day completely change the way we see this world? It is because of his perspiration that he made all these happen, not his nature. Albert Einstein’s story is the best illustration of the importance of nurture.

There has long been debate on the importance of nature and nurture and everyone wants to be called a genius. However, while nature does play a role in one’s success, when you consider education and how nurture can change one’s nature, nurture clearly matters more. 

(Just try to write an essay in the same the way as those essays in the textbook are...)