Development of a Person - Essay Example

When a person is born, he comes into this world with a set of DNA markers which have the power to dictate his development as a person. From his hair colour to his interests, and mental abilities or disabilities, these are all things that a person is born with. These are examples of the concept of “nature” in the development of a person. Now each of us is also born with a set of shortcomings in our development that we must work towards overcoming to become successful in life. That is the simplest description that can be used to describe how the concept of “nurture” works in a person's life as well. The best example of the merging of these two concepts in one person is the noted Autism activist and animal consultant Temple Grandin.

Ms Grandin was born with a degree of Autism in her life that most people thought would prevent her from functioning as a normal person. Her disability was a death sentence for her as she had hyperactivity and senses that were far more heightened than those of a normal person. But because people could not understand how she functioned, they chose to brand her as abnormal instead. But it was all in Temple's nature to be highly observant of her surroundings, making her question the things that she saw and why things happened in a certain way. It was basically in her nature to be inquisitive, thus leading her to ask more complex questions in life and follow through on finding answers to her questions, most importantly, her ability to observe the nature of the beast and he can best function normally in a synthetic environment helped her to reshape our animal and livestock treatment from inhumane to humane. All three of her notable abilities, which they say come with her illness, make her a better person than others. These are all part of her nature as an Autistic person who functions as normally as she can in her everyday life and occupation.

Although Temple's mother could not see how special her daughter truly was, her attending the special education needs school helped her develop into the person that she became. While her mother shied away from trying to help her achieve a sense of normalcy and functionality in life, those at the school saw beyond her disabilities and encouraged her to use them to her benefit. When she asked a question, her educators did not tell her that it was a silly question, rather they encouraged her to seek out the answers to her question, thus nurturing her inquisitive nature. Applauding her when she made a discovery based on observation and experimentation, and letting her know that she had accomplished something good whenever she felt down and unable to continue in her quests. The nurturing aspect of the school, which led her to make friends and open up to people and discover her love for animals were all part of the nurturing procedures that helped Temple become more than just an autistic person. The school and its educators helped her understand that she could achieve more in life and that she was special enough to achieve it if she wanted to.