Even though I do believe that there is a strong correlation between the form of attachment a child has and the the life he will live as he grows up. I do not consider the quality of the attachment to be the only factor to consider when examining what type of a life a particular child will lead. There are many other factors that need to be taken into consideration. For example, the decisions the child makes as he grows up, and most importantly the external influences that the child will be exposed to form a very young age. In my opinion, one of the most formative stages for an individual is during his adolescent years. During this period an individual may be influenced by various different things that may erase what he/she may have learned from his/her attachment as a child. For example, if one was bullied in high school his personality may change to that of a timid and reserved individual as opposed to his previous confident personality brought about by his attachment to his parents or caregivers. As a result, the individual will lead a less that satisfactory life later on. However, these influences and decisions can work in both ways. A child who has been brought up with poor attachment may make all the right decisions and follow all the right influences to lead to a better life in the future.
I agree with you that decisions are a major factor and that someone may have a poor childhood, but make good decisions to lead a better life. However, I do not necessarily find the adolescent years to be the most formative stage because although there is a lot of development occurring, there is still development to the technical adult years of 18-25, which can turn around someone's life much like how you mentioned with having a poor childhood but making good decisions.
I think it is good to establish that neither attachment nor decision-making is a sole factor in determining well-being later in life, and that there are probably many contributing factors that come together. However, I do agree with the decision-making case, and I definitely think it is important to remember that development does not end after childhood, but continues.
I very much agree with you that formation of attachment should not be the sole effect in one's behavior, but there is definitely a strong connection betwwen the two. In addition, I do think adolescent years are one of the most formative stages for one's personality and behavior, but I believe this period can be extended to age from 12 to 24. Generally, adolescent years are from ages 13 to 19, but I think lives in middle school, high school, and colleges (or work) can greatly change one's understanding of the world and his or her personality. People at age of 12 to 24 change their minds a lot because the new events and people they encounter in life, and anything happen in this period can completely reverse the effect of the attachment.
