Prompt: Some people say that the experiences a child has before starting school have the most influence on their future life. Others say that experiences as a teenager, especially at school, are more influential. Discuss both views and give your own opinion?

It is commonly acknowledged that early impressions have a great impact on an individual’s life, yet many people argue about the age that has more significance on our future. While many believe that infancy is a more susceptible and noteworthy period, others dispute that impressions obtained during adolescence are of greater relevance. In this essay, I will try to investigate both viewpoints and provide a weighted consideration on the topic. Ċ To begin with, according to some people, the environment that surrounds us and the experiences we obtain at the early stages of our lives play a crucial part in the way our personality is formed. The reasoning behind this is rather straightforward: proponents of this viewpoint suggest that toddlers are known to absorb an enormous amount of information, and that indicates that even when they have not learnt to speak yet, they are already able to comprehend. Hence, any traumatic events during this period will affect the future course of their life. As to my opinion, I tend to agree with the above-mentioned arguments, and to support them I would like to provide an example of a commonly utilized psychiatric practice. When working with adults, psychiatrists are attempting to discover any profound traces of trauma experienced during infancy, and in severe ,cases they can even turn to hypnosis to try and uncover the memories that a person’s subconsciousness chose to erase. Ċ Conversely to this point of view, others claim that school years may have more repercussions on our future. To support this opinion, they emphasize that teenagers are particularly vulnerable as they are only starting to form their character, so any traumatic events like a divorce of their parents or disease of the loved ones may lead to them becoming anti-social and controversial. At the same time, if a child is encouraged and recognized during adolescence, he or she has higher chances of gaining confidence and being mentally stable. As much as I agree with this being a sensitive period, I adhere to the view that it is easier for teenagers because they can ask for the assistance they require, whereas toddlers cannot. To exemplify, if a child is being bullied at school, he or she may speak to their parents and ask to be sent to a different institution. Ċ To conclude, in light of the aforementioned arguments and examples, one should acknowledge that any age is relevant in forming an individual’s personality, although it is worth mentioning that the older a person gets, the more resilient and stable he or she becomes to the external events. For this reason, in my opinion, it is crucial to make sure that a toddler’s first impressions are not scarring.