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Nurturing Impact on People’s Behaviours

For a long time, nature and nurture have been used to explain people’s behaviors. The

nature-nature theory sparks discussions on what influences the actions that individuals portray.

Social and environmental models have, however, proved to be more significant in explaining

people’s traits than biological models. The nurture model explains that it is the social and

environmental factors that shape the behaviors of a person while growing up. To a large extent,

nurture properties contribute to either a gentle and social functioning or a violent and antisocial

behavior portrayed by an individual. Through the course of crime history of America, several

conspiracy theories have emerged. One of the conspiracies that stand out is the Manson’s

murders. These were murders committed by the Manson Family headed by cult leader Charles

Manson. While looking at the upbringing of the members of the Manson Family, especially

Charles Manson’s background, one notices that they grew up in a crime-prone environment. The

conditions surrounding their childhood contributed to their future behaviors which raise the

belief that nurture fosters evil in people.

Manson had spent almost half of his life in correctional facilities by the time he began

forming the Manson Family. He followed the path of his mother who was engaged in crime

especially robbery and was a drunkard. On one particular occasion, Manson’s mother and her

brother Luther tried to rob a service in West Virginia. They used a coke bottle to knock down the
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attendant. The police, however, managed to arrest and sentence them to a five-year jail term

(Emmons et al., p.30). Manson thus had to stay with his grandparents who were firm believers.

The practices of his grandparents would shape his behaviors positively and make him a sissy in

their neighborhood (Emmons et al., p.32). Later on, his mother was released from jail, and he

proceeded to live with her, moving from one city to the other. The constant relocation made him

miss a lot of school days. One of the main events that would shape his future forever is the

experience with his uncle, Jess. On several occasions, Manson witnessed his uncle use a shotgun

to send guys away (Emmons et al., p.33). His mother’s excessive drinking would further worsen

his behavioral upbringing. With all these occurring in his childhood environment, the future of

Manson was somewhat doomed. He would take ways that he regularly saw as a kid which would

later make him a first-degree murderer.

Besides his childhood, Manson fostered the members of the Manson Family to commit

suicide through brainwashing. Manson seduced several young middle-class using his charismatic

extremism into joining the Manson’s cult. These individuals were especially vulnerable as they

were undergoing some personal issues at the time. For example, Leslie Van Houten was indulged

into the cult after she and her mother had parted ways. She, therefore, needed companion which

made her much vulnerable to allurement by Manson (The Manson Women, n.p). Manson had a

personality of reading other people’s mind and play them. Manson strategy on brainwashing the

members of his family involved administering LSD which would affect the cognitive part of the

members. He took a lesser amount of LSD that he administered to the members (Helter Skelter).

The side effects of the drugs would then make them believe without question that Manson was a

manifestation of Jesus (The Manson Women, n.p). The strong belief in Manson together with the

influence of LSD on the members made them murder on behalf of Manson. While performing
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such actions, some of the members confess to having not known what they were doing. For

instance, Leslie admitted that she was unaware of what she was doing. She states that “I didn’t

know, I didn’t know,” which may imply that they were performing the murder due to the effects

of LSD and not on their consent (The Manson Women, n.p). The situations above make it clear

that every person is vulnerable to violence, rage, and hatred. With an influence from a trusted

person, people can fall victims of evil doings.

Prejudice is another factor that nurtures evil behaviors. In his article “Prejudices: First

Series,” Mencken states that prejudice involves judging an artist by the “righteousness” of their

orthodoxy rather than their artistic and technical merits (p. 11). Manson presumed that black

people would start a war with the white people. To stay safe from the war, he changed the locale

of the Manson Family to Canoga Park which he named the Yellow Submarine (Helter Skelter,

n.p). The home was supposed to protect and prepare them for the upcoming apocalypse.

However, the way took too long to start, and the family had to stimulate it. They thus assumed a

killing spree which involved the rich white people. They would then dispose of wallets and other

belongings of such people to the black people neighborhoods hoping that the white people would

avenge the deaths of their people by declaring war on the black people. The winning of the black

meant that the Manson Family would rule America as they had a prejudice that black people

could not lead themselves (Helter Skelter). Bias proves to be a significant factor that can spark

immoral behaviors on individuals.

In conclusion, society and the environment in which people live shape their behaviors.

The Manson conspiracy depicts this case. The nature of conduct thus takes the attributes of the

society and the environment where people live. A crime-prone environment will thus spark
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immoral behaviors on individuals while social environment will facilitate social and non-violent

actions.
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Works Cited
Emmons, Nuel, and Charles Manson. Manson in his own words. Grove/Atlantic, Inc., 2007.

The Manson Women: “Inside the Manson Murder”. ABC News 20/20. Diane Sawyer. American

Broadcsating Company. 1994.

Menken, H.L. Prejudices: First Series. Alfred Knopf Company New York, NY. 1919.

Helter Skelter. Director Tom Gries. Performnce. George DiCenzo, Steve Railsback. Warner

Brothers, 1976.