I’ve had the Nature v. Nurture debate many times over the years, but in the end I believe it is a pointless discussion. It all boils down to one thing. If you believe it’s in your nature to be anything less than amazing, you’re wrong.
Who’s to Blame?
I don’t know who benefits from making you believe your behaviour and level of achievement is dictated by your manufacturer’s stamp (opinions differ according to your scientific, religious or socio-political viewpoint) but you certainly don’t.
How the Myth Harms You
The myth of genetic determinism is nothing short of iniquitous in my opinion. What it does:
- Limits your expectations (my parents were poor and so I will be too)
- Puts a blindfold on your ambitions (it’s unrealistic to want to be a millionaire so I won’t try)
- Murders your dreams (I have to expect to be similar to my peers, I should not expect to do better than them because people from my neighbourhood or race or gender never amount to anything)
- Ruins your relationships (It’s not in my nature to be affectionate, so my partner will have to cope with my behaviour. That’s the way it was for my parents and that’s how it’s bound to be for me.)
- Creates monsters out of people (I can’t help bullying or abusing people because I was bullied myself)
- Steals your personal power (if you think your life is set by your nature you lose what every successful person knows: you can be whatever you want so long as you are prepared to work for it)
How Winning is Done
The aim of any serious student of success should be to get stronger and more able to succeed. We do this by developing greater skills and continually acquiring relevant knowledge. Then we take that knowledge and those skills and put them to work on our goals. We do it with perseverence, with passion and with an absolutely indomitable will to succeed. We do not accept limitations of any sort. We never stop trying our best to be the best.
Success Has Nothing to do With Your Nature
There is one thing that all successful people know the world over. This is something that utterly rejects the idea that your level of achievement has anything to do with your ‘nature’: success means taking complete responsibility for your life.
The Next Step
Success does not come to those who blame their lack of success on the peculiar distribution of the elements of their cellular structure. In other words, your genes have nothing to do with it, you are responsible for your success. Hold onto that responsibility, it’s more precious than you can imagine.
