NATURE AND NURTURE

Nature always trumps nurture.  A genius, through abusive upbringing and lack of education, can be deprived of the ability to do great things.  A person with less than average capabilities can have his or her performance improved through care, attention, and education, but will not achieve anything of intellectual importance.  Both the hard wiring within the brain and the appropriate development of innate talent are required to permit someone to stand out in a specific area of endeavor.

Early man needed a much different set of abilities to excel at the art of surviving than is required today.  A member of a tribe was feted for bringing in large quantities of game, or for effectively warding off marauders.  Hunting and fighting skills could be taught, but some individuals always performed better than others.  Physical strength and agility, a keen sense of smell, and the ability to anticipate what an animal, or an enemy, was going to do became inborn traits that enabled men to become great hunters or warriors.

As civilizations became more complex, survival skills became less physical and more cerebral.  Strong reasoning, conceptualization, and negotiating abilities permitted certain men, and women, to become highly successful.  Success was measured in terms of wealth and power.  Later on, as societies developed economic surpluses, a cultural overlay became possible.  The efforts of people who were talented in creating works of architecture, art or music were supported. 

In every case where an individual is responsible for significant accomplishments in his or her field, that person began life with superior capabilities of one sort or another.  As a result of education and experience, these abilities were honed to the point where outstanding results emerged.  Without nature providing the basis for development, intensive nurturing will not lead to greatness.  If a person of unusual potential is not provided with education and encouragement, the inherent talent remains untapped.

It is never possible to make everyone equal.  Some individuals are gifted in a number of areas, while those less fortunate only possess average, or lower than average, intelligence and talents.  A very wealthy society has the capability of attempting to develop each individual’s innate potential to the maximum extent.  Where fewer resources are available, choices must be made with respect to how they should be allocated.