Your Family History

They say that who you are is defined by your past. This is true in a philosophical sense, and increasingly true in a biological perspective. We are the result of our memories and past actions, and also the product of generations of genetic development. Knowing your family history provides you with an identity and a greater understanding of yourself and where you come from. What you look like is a result of genetic mating and where you live is a result of where your ancestors settled. In general, who you are largely depends on your circumstances, which are largely influenced by your family history.

Not knowing anything about where you come from can produce a feeling of disorientation and uncertainty, and often those who are missing that link with the past often possess the desire to discover it. Popular examples of this phenomenon come in such forms as people suffering from amnesia or adopted individuals who seek out their birth families. In this case, discovering your family history can provide closure and fill in some of the gaps. However, there are those who choose not to seek out their birth parents, figuring that their adoptive families are their real families. This brings up the question of how important your ancestry really is. To these people, your ancestry doesnt have to define who you are.

This might be true when it comes to a more spiritual bond with your ancestors, but in the modern world of medicine and science your family history is more important than ever. Your genetics are highly responsible for your health and they are a big predictor of how you will fare later in life. Many diseases are highly heritable, and certain genetic makeups are more susceptible to certain diseases than others. For example, cystic fibrosis is more common in the Jewish population, hypertension is prevalent among African Americans, and osteoporosis is common among Asians. Knowing about the risk factor can help people take earlier action in combating illness. Thus, doctors will commonly question you about your family history during an examination and it will factor into their diagnoses.

But its important to remember that while genetics are a large component of your identity, theyre not the whole picture. We are also defined by our actions and environment that interact with biology. Whats most important is what you do with what youre given naturally and how you take on what you encounter in life. After all, its not necessarily about where you come from, but where youre going.