Does the fruit fall far from the tree?

You are going to need a bit more context.

What do you think about the nature vs. nurture question with respect to people “becoming” their parents?

It depends. Sometimes children absorb their parents values, sometimes they rebel against them.

Thus, if your parent is a criminal that does not mean that you will be. It might mean you go the opposite way.

I think people manifest at least some aspects of their parents’ behaviors whether they’re conscious of it or not. It’s a modeling thing. Parents are models for how we deal with life, and unless we become very self-aware, we’re capable of mimicking what they did without realizing it.

I don’t think you can generalize with this kind of question. I know people who are a lot like their parents and people who are very different than their parents – myself included.

I’m turning into both my mom AND my dad, when it comes to their personality. Actually quite facinating! And a bit scary…

Whether you are talking nature or nurture, it still will usually be your parents, their genes and their childrearing.

Does the fruit fall far from the tree? Only when there is a very big storm.

If you plant corn, you get corn.

Does the fruit fall from the tree? Only if the tree is planted on a substantial incline. The fruit falls and rolls as far away as possible.
As to how much we end up being like our parents, my dad died when I was ten and I am very much like him, but not nearly as much as my son who was not born until 13 years after he died.
I am like my mother in many respects, but also very different from her in many respects. For both of those, I am thankful.

Sometimes. Sometimes not. Hang around Fluther for a while and you’ll see augustlan is an outstanding example of a person not becoming their parents. And I’m still working on myself, but I really hope I fall into that category, too. If not, someone please shoot me.