Theories Of Spitting Image

Many people have heard the phrase ‘You are the spitting image of your mother’ or ‘You are the spitting image of your father’. One source sites that the phrase ‘spitting image’ originates from the Anglo-Saxon word spittan, which means to eject from the mouth, and means to speak likeness (Talk: Spitting Image). Another theorist believes that the phrase is a conjunction on the words ‘spit’ and ‘and’, when spit means perfect likeness (Where Does ‘Spitting Image’ Come From?). Although these origins are different, they come together to describe a common occurrence in our lives. Children act and look like their parents almost identically. Many people believe that genetics is the root cause of this. They believe that these physical traits and behaviors

This theory was developed by Sigmund Freud and holds that our irrational, unconscious drives and motives underline our behavior. The drives and motives often originate from experiences from childhood (Behavioral Theories). If genetics were to determine how we behave, these drives and motives would be rational. According to the theory, however, unordinary and rational drives and motives determine behavior. These are most likely derived from experiences gained during childhood. If a child suffers through a traumatic experience, such as a school shooting, which is an irregular occurrence; this might cause underlying behaviors that could surface in the future. Another example that could explain this theory is if a child was abandoned at a young age. These children are forced to survive by themselves, supply themselves with the food and shelter they need, and mature much faster than they should have had to. These juveniles grow up to be more mature and more resistant to stress because they had to deal with this and overcome it much earlier than the general population. Genetics could not explain why an individual becomes manic after a traumatic event or emotionally more stable after overcoming life

Genetics might explain predispositions to certain behaviors such as mental illnesses that run in a family, but they do not explain the everyday behaviors that every individual engages in. Thought processes, environmental factors, observations, and life’s actions are what describe the behaviors that are present within every human. Behaviors are learned characteristics of a person and can be changed over time and many times. If genetics were to determine behaviors, this process would not be able to occur. In conclusion, behavior is derived from the underlying drives and motives that each human possesses that varies from person to person. These drives and motives are influenced from everything present in an individual’s life and explain how they behave. If these drives and motives were not underlying effects on our behavior, every individual would engage in the same behavior, and the variety of behaviors shown throughout the globe would not be