Why some adults thrive after childhood adversity

Below, Jay Belsky shares five key insights from his new book, The Nature of Nurture: Rethinking Why and How Childhood Adversity Shapes Development.

Belsky is emeritus professor of human development at the University of California, Davis.

What’s the big idea?

Seen through an evolutionary lens, early adversity can shape development in adaptive ways. And because children differ in their sensitivity to their environments, early experiences may matter a lot for some and much less for others.