What forms the basis for ones personality - is it inborn or inculcated? is it based on the environment where one grows or is it inherent in their genes? If yes for either or both of the facts, what is the split? How much percent is attributed to each fact? Guess this question is omnipresent since psychology started spreading its wings and has always been a subject of interest for story tellers as well, right from the times of kings and kingdoms to modern day Manmohan desai's.
I always think about my formative years and how different it was as compared to my friend's or how similar. What were the few things that were easily available for them which wasn't in my case, that ended up shaping their personality in a huge way down the line? The other question that runs in my mind being, when did i began to be so conformist? in the sense that i rarely argued with what my parents told me and if they shouted at me or got angry over me doing something, i seldom repeated the same thing again or at worse would be very afraid if at all i repeated that mistake unknowingly. It could be as simple as not throwing things or wasting note books or keeping my stationery safe or my books. The message that was drilled into my psyche being, ensuring that the things are utilized to their fullest potential before they are discarded or opting for replacements. I am not sure if it was due to my upbringing or whether it was imposed on me by my parents or i opted for being like this on my own, but simple things like, switching off things when not in use, turning off the tap etc come naturally to me and has almost become like an OCD, that i follow wherever i go, be it office or even other people's house!! I find this habit hardly present in junior who despite several warnings and shoutings hardly bother about these things. He feels bad when i shout at him for repeatedly missing on such trivial things which i want him to take care on his own. The argument in his favor being he is still too small for being put through such "rigor" and will automatically learn on his own. But i am afraid, if he is not realizing the underlying message now, it will be really difficult for him to pick up when it comes to bigger decisions down the line. I am not sure of many such things where i don't know how my parents made me realize their point. To my knowledge i was of the immediately accepting kind to whatever they said and not sure if it was ever not the case.
The other point on the things that were available to my friends when i was a kid that i hardly had a chance to enjoy was toilet!! It deserves a special post of its own for my most traumatic memories of my childhood are associated with that dreaded place!
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