Just a few thoughts …

Yes, I would agree with that term, but it omits an important factor – that of genetics. We are also who we are because of genetics, though genetics may be included in environment. Everything we see, everything that happens to us, everyone we meet, influences us in some way. Our environment and experiences lead to the expectations, and it is often the expectations that determine what we do.

For example, consider Mother Teresa. Read about her life (lots of stuff on line) and see how it applies to her.

Best of luck with it.

I believe in the nature/nurture theory personally. There has always been a great sociological debate about which is the stronger influence on what we are and what we become as adults — I don’t think you can have a conclusive patent answer. Frankly, I think there is some evidence that we are born with a certain personality through ‘nature’ (the blank slate theory is a little much for me to wrap my mind around). That is I think we are a product of our genes to a degree. Then there’s ‘nurture’, which, to be sure is ‘environment’ in your statement. Then there is your ‘experience’, which will include elements of the other factors — that is, our parents control our experiences at least for the first several years of our lives. Consequently, they will strongly influence what we’re exposed to in our experiences. Finally, our expectations are based upon all of the above, both the elements of nature/nurture as I stated, and the environment, experience in your statement. Since we are brought up in divers situations with regard to religious beliefs, social mores, cultural values, etc., etc., we are ‘tracked’ to a degree — that is, we will be strongly urged by our upbringing to adopt the beliefs and eventually to have expectations that are equal to or sometimes a little better than the generation before us…