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Kyren Lavan ed. Summer Pan

The question of nature vs nurture is one that has been discussed since humanity has recorded its first stories. In the epic of Gilgamesh, the hero Gilgamesh and his ally Enkidu come from completely different backgrounds, with Gilgamesh being from the heart of human civilization while Enkidu was created by wild divine energy to serve as Gilgamesh’s counterpart. Their differing natures brought them into conflict, which they ultimately overcame to work together as allies. As a debate that has been on the crossroads of morals and philosophy, this question has been examined by the best and brightest minds humanity has had to offer; therefore it might come as no surprise that in this essay, I will not be answering that question, but will be focusing on some of the factors that impact our disposition, our understandings of the world, and even our senses. As such, much less of what we consider human nature is truly universal amongst humans.

The story that inspired me to write this article was that of Danielle Crockette, the unfortunate scenario posed to us in the BGDB course, involving a girl of age 7 who was found in 2005 in a home of extreme neglect. Investigators at the time described it as “one of the worst they’ve ever seen” and that most items in the house were rotting with human and animal excrement, covering both the floor and walls. Although Danielle was brought immediately to a hospital, the severe neglect would continue to stunt her growth for the rest of her life (Degregory, 2008). Even in her 20s, Danielle is still unable to speak and lives at a group home, following her adoption and upbringing in a healthy family environment after her hospital discharge (Knox, 2022). Danielle is an example of the wider phenomenon of “wild children”, an event wherein a child is raised in extreme neglect and unable to make the necessary developments in interpersonal and social skills, causing lifelong deficits in socialization and language (Lasky, 2022). Although feral children display expected levels of biological developmental capability, they remain unable to develop normal communication skills due to a lack of improper modelling, preventing necessary hearing, observation, mimicking, and reinforcement for proper development (Stewart, 1998).

These findings are synchronous with the critical period hypothesis, theorizing that there is a critical window in early childhood for learners to gain language skills with native-like proficiency, which, if missed, can lead to delays in growth (Ungvarsky, 2020). The phenomenon of feral children poses a stark reminder of the effort and resources necessary for children to reach the cognitive, social, and emotional skills we consider fundamental parts of human nature. Similarly, these scenarios pose questions about how much of human nature truly is instilled in us from birth, if modern medicine, child rearing and socialization is simply the effort needed to reach natural order, or if it is elevating us to levels of understanding far greater than those before us.

The Himba people are a semi-nomadic tribe in northwest Namibia largely uninvolved with modern economy and technology (Scelza, 2022). They maintain a strong internal culture and have a native language and social structure (Scelza, 2022), which have caused interesting differences in not only the social demeanour and outlook of the Himba people, but also the way they perceive color. Upon tests investigating the ability to differentiate color, the Himba people, who classify blues and shades of Green under the color “Buru” in their native language took longer to differentiate a blue tile from a sequence of other green tiles compared to controls from Western countries (Visagie, 2016). The color test has been included below:

The color tests for differentiating shades of green, and for differentiating green from blue (Visagie, 2016).

Conversely, the Himba people were more adept at differentiating shades of green, with multiple colors in the native language to differentiate shades of green (Visagie, 2016). This experiment poses valuable insight into the effects of socialization and language on our perception and senses. It posits the question of whether we truly see the world similarly, and just how much variety we have not only in constructing meaning, but even our sensory perceptions and senses. Scientifically, there are many factors that may influence our perception of color. In addition to the variations in rods and cones which detect different wavelengths of light, light conditions in childhood, and even psychological factors alongside dopamine levels, may impact the way we perceive color at different points, in addition to the language for colors and cultural traditions as well (lifocolor.de, 2025). These questions can be applied to all elements of the rich cultural diversity and language we have throughout the world in the unexplored differences in our perceptions of the world. The viral quote “is my blue your blue?” gave rise to an internet quiz (ismy.blue) wherein test takers are presented with different shades of green and blue and can compare their threshold for labelling a color as blue in comparison to the rest of the world.

As such, the question of ‘how much of what we attribute to “human nature” is inherent’ might not ever be fully answered, but it can be estimated through our understanding and observations on our differences and our similarities. Although the way we understand the world, experience stimuli, socialize, and are able to gain independence may differ, there are also inherent aspects of humanity, such as a desire to experience culture, unite with familial units, or even explore our similarities and differences that seem ubiquitous. People with neurodivergency comprehend information differently and interpret the world uniquely from those who are neurotypical. Some participants with ADHD participating in a survey reported positive experiences of hyperfocus and hyperactivity which have been linked to the diagnosis, supporting theories that our diverse experiences cannot be classified as inherently beneficial nor negative, but must be supported and understood as an inherent aspect of humanity. With regards to feral children, it could be argued that the inherent potential in each child to achieve great levels of independence and understanding are compromised by their inadequate socialization and rearing, preventing them from reaching independence. In conclusion, the cases described in this article highlight just how different we are and that some things that we may take for granted as part of the human condition, might be far more diverse than we know. It is hence precious and fleeting that we understand and accept our differences, and preserve and cultivate the potential for human growth.

References

Degregory, Lane. The Girl in the Window. St.Petersburg times, 2008, https://rjionline.org/rji/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/11/tbt_girl_in_the_window.pdf. Accessed 11 July 2026.

Knox, Ronald. The Mass in Slow Motion. 21 Mar. 2022.

Lasky, Jack. “Feral Child | EBSCO.” EBSCO Information Services, Inc. | Www.Ebsco.Com, 2022, https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/social-sciences-and-humanities/feral-child. Accessed 11 July 2026.

lifocolor.de. “How Colours Are Created and Why We See Them Differently.” Lifocolor.De, 2 June 2025, https://www.lifocolor.de/en/news-events/why-people-perceive-colours-differently/. Accessed 11 July 2026.

Scelza, Brooke. A. “Culture and the Mind – Himba.” Cultureandmind.Sites.Sheffield.Ac.Uk, 2022, https://cultureandmind.sites.sheffield.ac.uk/fieldsites/himba. Accessed 11 July 2026.

Stewart, Heather. “Neuroscience for Kids – Neuroscience Movies.” Faculty.Washington.Edu, 1998, https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/moviesfc.html. Accessed 11 July 2026.

Turkheimer, Eric. “The Nature-Nurture Question.” Noba, 2012, https://nobaproject.com/modules/the-nature-nurture-question. Accessed 11 July 2026.

Ungvarsky, Janine. “Critical Period Hypothesis | EBSCO.” EBSCO Information Services, Inc. | Www.Ebsco.Com, 2023, https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/language-and-linguistics/critical-period-hypothesis. Accessed 12 July 2026.

Visagie, Jescey. “How Do Namibian Himbas See Colour?” Gondwana-Collection.Com, 2 Sept. 2016, https://gondwana-collection.com/blog/how-do-namibian-himbas-see-colour. Accessed 11 July 2026.