Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Familiar Features
Recently I was able to see relatives from both sides of my family. As our extended family expands, I am noticing strong familial traits. Of course physical similarities are present, but the more interesting ones come in the form of common behaviors, thought processes, and methods. It is quite intriguing to try to determine how much is passed on by environment or genetics. My immediate family is a laboratory of sorts in answering the nature vs. nurture question. Of us four children, two are biologically linked and two are not, but we all were raised by the same parents and lived in the same home. I see the influence of my parents on all of our behavioral patterns in one form or another. I wonder about my grandparents and great grandparents. Did they have any idea as to what behavioral influence they would pass on to the next generations? Could the familial behaviors be teased apart and be attributed to specific ancestors? What if one of the prevailing familial traits is one that the ancestor did not wish to possess and never wanted his/her children to receive?
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3 comments:
As to your last question, do you have any specific traits in mind? Speaking of familial traits, I was showing my neighbor pictures of the wedding and I pointed out Lisa's two sisters who were bridesmaids. Her response was, "I could tell who they were because they look so much alike."
I was thinking of the "do what needs to be done" and "do it right" mindset that are very common to our family. There are a couple other things too, but I will leave those left unsaid.
what about the infamous aho hand wringing or nose rubbing? i doubt anyone wanted to pass that along, but yet many of us do it. (and cringe)
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