Culture and lifestyle does affect a person’s behavior quite a bit. It does not always affect people how you would generally think it would, though. I will give you three real life examples that I personally witnessed and I will attempt to explain the behavior in a rational and logical way.

First, we have Brianne. Brianne grew up in a very wealthy part of town. Brianne went to a very nice, crime-free school. Brianne had every oppurtunity to excel. However, Brianne also had an irresponsible mother. A divorced and re-married father who did the best he could with a child that, though he would never admit it, was a youthful mistake. Brianne’s mother raised her, because Brianne refused to listen to her father. This meant that the mother let Brianne do pretty much whatever she wanted to do. Wealth, privilege, and a lack of consequence for her actions led Brianne into a life of lies, deceit, alcoholism, and eventually crime. The fact that Brianne never had a strong father figure in her life, and because her father’s attempts to instill discipline were seen so negatively by Brianne, she grew up with a very negative view of men. The lack of consequence for her actions left Brianne with a sense of entitlement. You can see where this is leading. Brianne will never have a fulfilling relationship. She is selfish, and uses men to get what she wants. The last I knew of Brianne, she had been arrested for trying to extort money from a man.

Next, we have Erin. Erin grew up in a loving household. Her father treated her mother very well, and it was obvious to Erin that he loved her. Erin’s mother was a disciplinarian, and often distributed the punishment for any of the wrong’s Erin committed as a child. This made Erin realize that actions had consequences. Her father’s love for her mother also gave Erin a positive view of men. Today, Erin is finishing her master’s degree in school and is very happy in her life.

Finally, I will tell you about James. James’ first memory of his father was after he had already started grade school. James’ father had went to prison a couple of years after James was born. While in prison, James’ mother had tried to raise four children on her own while also working hard everyday as a supermarket cashier. James’mother and her four children lived in a small trailer in a small town. When James’ father got out of prison, the entire family moved into the big city. Here James’ mother got a job working at the local county jail, while James’ father worked at the airport. The family as a whole had very little money. James’ parents fought constantly. This had a very profound affect on James. He had a great deal of respect for his mother for working so hard to provide for her children. He also had a good deal of resentment towards his father for not being there early in his life, and for causing such hardship on James’ mother. This led to James developing a deep-rooted sense of responsibility and facing the consequences of your actions. James’ father never admitted to the crimes he had committed to get put into prison, and never apologized for anything or ever admitted fault in any way. This led James to always step forward and accept the consequences of his actions. Today, James is a very unselfish, hard working, and responsible person. James is well liked, and is in a very healthy relationship. So sometimes a bad upbringing can still have a positive affect on someone.

So you see how much culture and lifestyle can affect a person’s behavior. Not so much as in how much money you make, but more in how the people around you act and how you are treated. It’s amazing how malleable a child’s mind is, and sometimes parents don’t realize just how much they are shaping their children’s future.