Discussion 5 | Week 9 | A Marvelous Julian

Jacob and Beth Avery had expected their son Julian to be just like his older brother, Carl. Carl was bold and

adventurous, a climber of trees, and a leader on the playground. By the age of 4, however, it was clear Julian had his

own personality. He liked to sit on the front steps of their brownstone looking at picture books. He liked to draw and

make things with clay. He was a calm, thoughtful child who chose to watch others more often than interact with

them. The Averys were surprised by the preferences of their younger son and voiced their concerns to his preschool

teacher. The teacher confirmed that Julian was indeed a quiet child. No, he was not a leader on the playground, but

he did have several friends in the class, and he seemed content most of the time, especially when he was creating

something out of cardboard or construction paper or making a story with pictures. The teacher urged the Averys not

to worry. "Julian is developing a sense of who he is and what he can do, what he likes to do. He won't be Carl. He

can't be. But I think he'll be a marvelous Julian."

What do the differences between Julian's behavior and his older brother's behavior suggest about the relative importance of nature and nurture in determining personality?