What is the impotance of knowing Family Heritage?

Question:Knowing your family's heritage is important because it allows us to know what traditions and customs have been passed down through the generations. It allows us an intimate look at who are ancestors were and what kind of people they became. My first exposure to genealogy was before I was ten. My great uncle wrote a genealogy about one of our family lines and my mom bought one for herself and one for each of us kids. It was very well written and thirty years later I am still fascinated by that book. Quite frankly, I can see by reading that genealogy why my familiy operates the way it does.

Knowing the medical history is a good reason too. My sister-in-law has a genetic disorder and through genetic testing and genealogical research, we have been able to learn much more about her disease. There are so many symptoms associated with her disease that we have noticed misdiagnosis of family members for several generations. We noticed in Civil War records that there were actual medical affidavits outling the exact symptoms that my sister-in-law now displays 150 years later.... Now THAT'S fascinating.

I don't know that there is a down side to knowing about your heritage, do you?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Knowing your family's heritage is important because it allows us to know what traditions and customs have been passed down through the generations. It allows us an intimate look at who are ancestors were and what kind of people they became. My first exposure to genealogy was before I was ten. My great uncle wrote a genealogy about one of our family lines and my mom bought one for herself and one for each of us kids. It was very well written and thirty years later I am still fascinated by that book. Quite frankly, I can see by reading that genealogy why my familiy operates the way it does.

Knowing the medical history is a good reason too. My sister-in-law has a genetic disorder and through genetic testing and genealogical research, we have been able to learn much more about her disease. There are so many symptoms associated with her disease that we have noticed misdiagnosis of family members for several generations. We noticed in Civil War records that there were actual medical affidavits outling the exact symptoms that my sister-in-law now displays 150 years later.... Now THAT'S fascinating.

I don't know that there is a down side to knowing about your heritage, do you?

Its good to know for health reasons. For example, does your family have a history of heart disease? Do u have several family members on your moms side who died before age 60. stuff like that.

It is good for health reasons as the other person has stated. Also, it is very important to carry on the history of the family. It is also very interesting and lots of historical information has been acquired through this knowledge. There is a wealth of information out there and its very interesting and surprising. Also, there are organizations that you can join with this knowledge, they will help you to get degrees in specific areas. That is to say, they will provide scholarships for you or your children, if you or your children are chosen. Also in joining these organizations, you will be surprised at the people you can meet and the places you can go.. GB and GL

I like learning my Family Heritage because it is like a giant puzzle, but this one is very personal and is about me and my family.

When you create a family tree it is amazing to look back at it and see how many people it took to create you.

its good for history.. knowing who u are is great.. i recently found out i had italian in me and i think it gives me more reason to visit out of country ... i like to know so one day i can tell my children and we can visit out families past lives... thats why its important to me

i like being able to see where my family started, what circumstances molded my family to become what it has, what runs in our blood, it kinda helps to define who you are...

Being a genealogist doesn't make you impotent. Radiation will do it permanently, and large amounts of alcohol will do it temporarily, but genealogy can be an aphrodisiac. You get to studying all that procreation in days gone by, someone at the Genealogical society clubhouse gives you the eye, and bingo! Love blossoms - or at least lust does. If she cites her sources and takes the legends of GGGM being a Cherokee Princess as amusing but implausible, you respect her in the morning. Happens all the time.

Seriously, the only times it could be impoRtant would be if someone needed a bone marrow transplant, in which case they look to close relatives first, or if there was a history of a genetic disease, like hemophilia, in the family. Most people know they should eat less, exercise more, moderate their alcohol and stop smoking, even if they don't know six out of eight of their Great grandparents had lung cancer / heart disease / liver problems. "Medical History", often cited as one important reason, isn't as important as a healthy lifestyle.

It is a hobby, like stamp collecting or fly fishing; nothing more, nothing less. Some of us like it, some people think we are slightly bonkers.

It can be extremely satisfying, to understand why your parents (grandparents) do things a certain way, or why they DON'T do certain things. I am here (or researching) many hours a day, and it gives me a real feeling of accomplishment. I have lost count of the wonderful persons I have met, through research.
In fact.. if I stopped tomorrow, and never knew anything except what is going on in my life today... the world would not stop. I'd go through withdrawal, but I'd get over it.
It is a hobby. The number one difference between this, and other hobbies, is that this is completely personal and about YOU.
I think people who use metal poles to hit little balls around are silly. Tiger Woods makes a huge living, doing just that. Nothing is silly if you really love doing it.

just so we can hold it over the lesser classes.