By Richard Highsmith

1. Genetics. “You were not born a winner, and you were not born a loser. You are what you make yourself be.” – Lou Holtz. When I was in graduate school the “nature” versus “nurture” debate was tilted strongly in the “nurture” direction. Most of my professors were behaviorists and believed genetics played a very small part in a person’s personality. I was taught environment was THE deciding factor in development. Then my son was born. His temperament emerged the first month of his life. His willfulness was apparent before his first birthday. His height was genetically encoded and had a major impact on how the world perceived him. Read More→