Human Nature in Summary

So, summarizing human nature, a somewhat difficult problem. Part of the reason it is so difficult to sum up is because our nature seems divided, almost to the point of classifying humans as a species insane. We are self-centered, and yet will donate large sums of money to help others. We strive for peace between nations, yet incite violence with them. Human nature seems partly to be that we always have the full range of emotions and personalities within us, and that as a species, we display that entire range all at once, creating an environment that prevents us from ever really figuring out what our nature is. Maybe our nature is to never know our nature, because you can never know everything, and our natures seem to encompass everything. We really are an odd species.

Nature, Nurture, and Tabletop RPGs

After further consideration of the Nature VS Nurture debate, I think I have found a good comparison to the debate that (one) can help illustrate the idea I had in the previous post of Nature modifying Nurture, and (two) can be easily explained using Dungeons and Dragons of all things.

When you create a new character in D&D, there are various steps that you go through. A simplified version of it is that you roll dice to determine your basic ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, etc), pick a race (elf, dwarf, human, halfling, etc), class/profession (Fighter, Rouge, Wizard, etc), and then go on to select different skills, tactics, and equipment.

Now, one's Starting Nature would be those starting ability scores, paralleling different body structures and basic personalities. The Nurture-based parts of one's personality that can't really be attributed to Nature would be things like the characters race (which in some cases will modify your ability scores) and class (your basic training at least). However, once you get to choosing different equipment and skills, Nature would once again take over and modify the Nurture aspects to suit whatever purpose you could desire.

For example, you could have two players create identical characters, both with the same ability scores, class choice, and race, but the end results of those characters will be wildly different depending on what kinds of skills those players chose for their characters. Despite the same Nurture-based influences, you can end up with completely different builds for the characters.
This reflects how two people with the exact same background can behave in totally different ways.

Nature warping Nurture

It would seem that, as far as the debates between what shapes humans, Nature or Nurture, the main aspect of humans this debate is about is for what kind of personalities people have. And for that case, I think that it is all about what a person's nature is, or more specifically, how that nature modifies whatever nurturing is given to the individual. A person will have certain predispositions to various lines of thinking, and those guidelines also determine what kinds of guidance they are willing to accept, and what kinds of ideals and rules they would adopt from others or adopt in modified forms. Effectively, human nature is one that gives individuals varying levels of interest in creating their own rules and ideals by adopting and modifying the rules of others. One end of the scale would be someone who makes their own rules with almost no input from outside sources, and the opposite end would be those who simply accept whatever rules they are told to follow. Effectively, one's Nature determines how much their Nurture will affect them.