I don’t really get this obsession some people have with their “origins”. Like… why is it so important to trace your ancestors so you can say that a 3% of you is… idk… persian?
I’d say part of it is about mortality and legacy, part is about belonging to a tribe, and at least a little bit is just thinking genealogy is neat.
Mortality: no matter what a person’s faith and belief system might be, there is a drive to contribute being meaningful after death. A person’s future line is directly rooted to their ancestry, and that heritage has a bearing on how one views their legacy.
Belonging: Why do many who are adopted search for their birth parents? Even if a person is in a loving and inclusive tribe, they still yearn for knowing more about their tribe and who else might be in it. There is an instinctive level of security in having a large group that can rally to you at a time of need. Family ties are historically a strong fallback to threats from outside the tribe
I just think it’s pretty cool. Geneology and the movement of populations is fascinating. My genetics are overwhelmingly from a particular part of the world, and it makes it interesting to read about history of that area and think, “Huh, so that’s something my ancestors went through.”
It’s not crucially important to know, and I haven’t sought out any DNA tests (I know what I know because a sibling took one.) It’s just interesting, especially to a nerd like me.
I may have worded it poorly. What you describe is understandable. What it’s not is going to those lengths as to take dna tests to know the percentage of you is from each country.
It’s good to know your ancestors, but do you really need to know how much of you is Irish to annunce it publicly as if it was something to brag about?
Ngl I have never met anyone who actually brags about their ancestry like you describe or like the internet portrays Americans on this topic. Mostly it’s just a neat thing to find out.
fwiw I have — both the stereotypical “I’m 1/X native American” and also “I’m X% Dutch”, the latter due to folks taking pride in having Dutch heritage, real or imagined, where I grew up.
I don’t really get this obsession some people have with their “origins”. Like… why is it so important to trace your ancestors so you can say that a 3% of you is… idk… persian?
I’d say part of it is about mortality and legacy, part is about belonging to a tribe, and at least a little bit is just thinking genealogy is neat.
Mortality: no matter what a person’s faith and belief system might be, there is a drive to contribute being meaningful after death. A person’s future line is directly rooted to their ancestry, and that heritage has a bearing on how one views their legacy.
Belonging: Why do many who are adopted search for their birth parents? Even if a person is in a loving and inclusive tribe, they still yearn for knowing more about their tribe and who else might be in it. There is an instinctive level of security in having a large group that can rally to you at a time of need. Family ties are historically a strong fallback to threats from outside the tribe
I just think it’s pretty cool. Geneology and the movement of populations is fascinating. My genetics are overwhelmingly from a particular part of the world, and it makes it interesting to read about history of that area and think, “Huh, so that’s something my ancestors went through.”
It’s not crucially important to know, and I haven’t sought out any DNA tests (I know what I know because a sibling took one.) It’s just interesting, especially to a nerd like me.
I may have worded it poorly. What you describe is understandable. What it’s not is going to those lengths as to take dna tests to know the percentage of you is from each country.
It’s good to know your ancestors, but do you really need to know how much of you is Irish to annunce it publicly as if it was something to brag about?
Ngl I have never met anyone who actually brags about their ancestry like you describe or like the internet portrays Americans on this topic. Mostly it’s just a neat thing to find out.
fwiw I have — both the stereotypical “I’m 1/X native American” and also “I’m X% Dutch”, the latter due to folks taking pride in having Dutch heritage, real or imagined, where I grew up.