Historical Determinism

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Do past events such as experiences in early childhood shape our personalities to the point that is critical for personality development? (Historical determinism) Can experiences from our childhood days play a role in who we are today? Can these past events help to determine our personalities? Jimmy grew up in an abusive home. His father molested him on many occasions, and as a young boy, he could tell that it was wrong. Can such a traumatic experience affect him and how he perceives life? Many years later this young boy, now a man, is having difficulty finding his identity. Because of his experience, which was considered wrong, but perhaps felt “good” to him, he is now confused as to what his sexual orientation should be. Even though he became a Pastor, and married, he is not satisfied as his confused state of mind constantly tells him that he is missing something – that of a homosexual lifestyle. Such a scenario can be considered as Historical determinism. Because it is of our opinion that indeed childhood experiences do shape our personalities to the point that is critical for personality development, we will show using the theory of Historical Determinism and information from other articles that our stance is true and can be proven.…show more content…
Therefore, in this concept, our adult personality has already been shaped and fixed during childhood. Clinical psychologist, Oliver James agrees that historical determinism plays a significant part in how personality is formed. His scientific research shows that issues such as addiction, violence, neurosis, hyperactivity and personality disorder can be as a result of the type of treatment and care received as a child during ages six months to three years (Guldberg,
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