Are we really only products of our environments?

 Going back to my original blog post “Are we really only products of our environments” I still believe our surroundings and expectations both have a significant impact on how we live and experience the world today but also want to add it is what we make it out to be. In "The Other Wes Moore," the author dives deeply into the lives of two people with the same name who end up on quite different paths. While one becomes a scholar, distinguished veteran, and wealthy businessman, the other becomes enmeshed in the criminal justice system and is sentenced to life in prison for murder. Their dramatically different paths lead us to consider the significance of the environment in creating our lives.

    Our environment encompasses our upbringing, culture, social interactions, and physical surroundings. These factors have the power to change our perspectives, attitudes, actions, and opportunities in life. Growing up in a supportive and loving environment, for example, can foster feelings of security and confidence, whereas growing up in a stressful or negative environment might lead to feelings of doubt or harshness. Our beliefs, experiences, and ambitions impact our expectations, yet they may still influence our perceptions and behaviors. Our standards can influence how we interpret events, what goals we set for ourselves, and how we evaluate our own success or failure. 

    At first look, it's simple to blame their contrasting outcomes only on their surroundings. The environment has a huge impact on individuals' opportunities, choices, and actions. Growing up in impoverished communities with high crime rates and inadequate resources, the other Wes Moore faced difficult hurdles from a young age. The absence of healthy role models, educational opportunity, and social stability surely led to his downfall. While reading this book, it was evident that he was able to pursue possibilities for self-improvement and academic accomplishment in the face of hardship. He displayed agency by consciously avoiding harmful influences and embracing favorable alternatives. His resilience, persistence, and desire to embrace chances all played an important part in molding his path.

    Finally, the story of "The Other Wes Moore" makes us reconsider our core beliefs about fate and determinism. Although the environment has a tremendous effect on our lives, our choices also play a crucial part in determining our fate and really makes us see that and want to take charge of our lives and not just keep the same old cycles just because we are put in these environments.