Have you ever found yourself wondering why people are the way they are? Has it ever intrigued you as to why people act or behave in certain ways? 

The answer to that question is more complicated than one would think. There are many aspects of a person that originate from the different parts of their lives and themselves. The influence of the people and places around us is what helps in shaping who we are. Spending enough time with certain people or in specific places can lead a person to pick up particular habits and preferences.  The simple answer to these ponderings is what a person can attribute to nature vs nurture in their day to day life.   

The answers to these questions have been thoroughly researched by many. One researcher in particular that caught my eye was Rekha Narendra. She had published an article regarding the inner workings of a human brain and why everyone acts in the ways they do. In her writing, Rekha talked of the brain as being hardwired or in simpler terms, trained. The human brain is trained to respond to scenarios in ways that seem appropriate stemming from past experiences. Majority of our reactions and behaviors are derived from what we have grown used to seeing or hearing around us. 

For example, language is something that can be influenced by the people we are surrounded with in our day to day lives. The ways in which people speak can rub off on those around them. In time an individual tends to use words they hear frequently from people they spend a good deal of time with. They might even pick up a particular accent as well.

In general the ways in which people act and portray themselves has a lot to do with what they’ve been surrounded with in their lives, particularly throughout their childhood. As children we are exposed to many different situations and lifestyles from those around us. Many individuals, like myself, were raised in multicultural households which can in turn influence how they perceive certain scenarios. Each person has their own unique experiences which help in fabricating who they become as life moves on.      

It is not uncommon for people to act in ways that most others would not consider ideal or as some would say normal through that persons’ experience. This is due to the fact that a person tends to act how they’ve been treated by those around them. Though some actions are less than satisfactory, their behavior towards others in certain situations is heavily influenced by the people in their lives. It is all they have known from the people surrounding them in their life and for them it is normal behavior. They are oblivious to any negative impacts their actions might have on others.

The identity of a person is much like a puzzle, an arrangement of different pieces, each one with its own designated spot and look. As the years pass the puzzle starts to come together more, eventually crafting itself into the unique identity of a person. Each and every moment of our lives snakes its way into that puzzle, allowing for the complex character of a person to blossom.

Life is still going as the hours pass. What can you say about your puzzle at this moment in time?