I Am Going to Say Something Controversial

I have already stated in other posts that in the nature vs. nurture controversy, I think nature places a bigger part, but it does not mean nurture is at all irrelevant. If I thought so, I would not be working in education.

However, I believe nurture must be balanced. That means:
1- It must come from different sources: family, friends, village or neighbourhood, school, media, art, government. Preferably in a bigger amount from those closer to the individual, in my opinion.
2- It must bring different opinions and perspectives.

If any of those premises fail, nurture becomes brainwashing. And I am afraid that's the kind of nurture many of its apologists support. Certain nurture, from certain sources, in a certain direction.

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CopperCicada · M

Your perspective is blinded.

At home I was raised to be a white supremacist. I was nurtured by family and those closest to me that Jews should die, that people of color should be enslaved, that women were stupid toys, and that autocracy was the only true social order.

That was my nurturing. It came from close to home. It came from multiple sources. Family, friends, community. It was supported by school and church. At least not challenged by it.

Was that nurture? Or was that brainwashing?

My way out was to move across the country to university and get every attitude and belief challenged and deconstructed, sometimes by fists. To fall in love with an Afro-Carribean woman practicing a syncretic religion. To be exposed to a huge spectrum of cultural, intellectual, religious and political beliefs.

Was that nurture? Or was that brainwashing?

In contemporary America there is certainly a belief that what is local, what is taught within the family is good, true, pure-- and that what is taught from outside the family is overly liberal, permissive, and degenerate. What is "nurture" and what is "brainwashing" has no simple geography.

Cierzo · M

@CopperCicada There was brainwashing in your childhood since you got the same message from everywhere.

I don't know about university. They are usually very efficient brainwashing institutions, I don't know if it was your case.

CopperCicada · M

@Cierzo I think my tale was to illustrate that what is "nurture" and what is "brainwashing" is not clear. Real brainwashing aside (psychological torture) it is a matter of axiology-- values. My father would say I was just taught family values and that I was brainwashed against them at college. The university would say I was brainwashed at home.

Peaches · F

@CopperCicada Well I call it ignorance, my upbringing was similar to yours in some respects.