Confidence - nature or nurture?

Question

Do you think that as parents we can encourage our children to have more self confidence and grow up to be confident and capable adults? Or does it not matter what we do they are genetically predisposed to lack confidence?

Answer 1

A bit of both but I wouldnt push the issue to be 'confident' because this just puts pressure on your child to act in a certain way. I think confidence is something a child grows into over time and it comes from feeling unconditionally loved and accepted.  

Answer 2

i personally think its mainly nurture that influences it.

but its not just the parents, its also a lot to do with other kids at school etc.

Answer 3

I think confidence is definitely nurture.... just look at society right now....  

Answer 4

i asked a very similar question a while ago. i believe that nurture has more to do with my lack of confidence then nature. i would consider my lack of confidence as severe. in elementary school, i was always paranoid of getting into trouble, and was always watching the teacher to see if she was watching me. i believe this comes from my upbringing, because my father was very strict on me, and abused me physically and verbally. however, my mom claims i have been quiet since i was young.. additionally my father is a not very sociable nerd. my sister, on the other hand is confident and very sociable, like our mom.

id like to believe it is due more to nurture, because id believe it is easier to change. but that has not been the case, as my confidence has diminished in my 19 yrs of life.

Answer 5

i dont think its either. Its a combination of factors and experiences. It is nurture to some extent, but then experiences can be driven from your natural abilities and this will affect your confidence. I have loads of self confidence and my sister has little, even though we have similar upbringing and skills.

Answer 6

Nurture.  

Answer 7

I think parents have the key role in building a child's confidence in the early years. Unfortunately all their work can be undone in the current secondary school climate with an alarming alacrity.

I'm not saying it will happen to every child going to school, but sadly, it is the bane of many a teenagers life.

Answer 8

I feel that this is nurture.  It has nothing to do with nature.

Answer 9

I think parents should nurture there children, the genetics of course will play a major part (if your super confident your child probably will be an vice verse) but you can up or down it depending on what you do.

Answer 10

I have to say nature.

My son is 11 and he lacks confidence on a big scale. We have always tried to help him by telling him how good he is at things but nothing seems to help him.

My other son who is 6 has so much confidence its just not funny!!

We haven't treated them any differently its just the children they are.

Answer 11

nurture

Answer 12

It's both.. Nature is nothing much without nurture..  

Answer 13

I think it is nurture. If we are told positive things, we will achieve positive things and be confident about ourselves. If we are told we are useless, we will feel that way, and our confidence will fall.

Something called 'self fulfilling prophecy', if we are told we are naughty, chances are that's what we will become.  

Answer 14

I believe it's completely down to their upbringing. I blame my parents for my terrible lack of confidence as I was growing up and me and my husband take full credit for our daughter's bubbly and borderline cocky personality.

  I think the main thing is never giving a child reason to think less of themselves. My dad was forever commenting on my weight and looking back, I never started getting larger than usual until mid to late teens - I believe that's because I already thought I was fat. Never point out the bad, but always compliment the good in your children.

Answer 15

Confidence has nothing to do with genes. It all depends on how you and the people around you treat your child. Give them more chances, and don't punish them just for every wrong thing they do. Then confidence will come by time!

Answer 16

I think confidence is a social concept meaning you are comfortable with yourself and are sure of (or at least aware of) your capabilities. I don't think genes can determine this. They could make you psychologically predisposed to losing confidence- but ultimately genes would only affect vulnerability. Actual experiences would define your confidence level.