poll: familial influence on your interests

[silverwhisper]

to what extent, either as a positive or negative force, would you say your family has influenced your most pronounced interests?

this touches on something scalywag and i were discussing in bi's "get some conversation going" thread, and of course, being me, it seemed like an interesting poll idea. :>

ed

p.s.: my answers later, yadda yadda yadda...

 

[Guest]

 

[midwestyankee]

My father was a sales person and a manager, using traits that my personality never quite received. He also loved telling jokes that hinged on bad puns. Finally, he was a charter subscriber to Playboy and kept every issue in boxes in the attic. The more I think about it, the less I see any way that he had any influence on me at all.

Thanks for raising the question. Now I can start blaming my mother for all my faults.

 

[Munachi]

My family had a lot of influence on who I am and what interests me... Examples would be my mom being a librarian - and I always loved to read, my dad listening to Bach a lot, and loudly, who is my favourite musician today. In fact, I also learned guitar (though I play very little these days) because of my dad, because he used to play and I wanted to impress him. Also just general world views have a lot to do with how my parents raised me, with always a lot of political discussions going on etc. - and just in general being from a somewhat oppositionist family in a communist country made me see myself always as a bit different from the others and have a certain pride on this... Another of my main interest though - languages and linguistics - seems to have not as much to do with my parents interests. While they as well always stressed the importance of learning languages, for them it was more a practical thing, not something done for no other purpose than studying these languages...

 

[bobsgirl]

My interests are pretty much my own. No one in my family has the same hobbies as I do. I have more in common that way with my mother-in-law, which is a frightening thought.

Personality-wise, I'd have to say I get a lot of mine from my mom. We both tend to be enablers of the first order and really have to work hard to break that nasty habit. I really hope I don't take after my dad.

 

[Ezzy]

to what extent, either as a positive or negative force, would you say your family has influenced your most pronounced interests?

this touches on something scalywag and i were discussing in bi's "get some conversation going" thread, and of course, being me, it seemed like an interesting poll idea. :>

ed

So were did you put the pole, I think it is a great question to put up as a pole... so put it up as a pole would you?

There must be a how to question about doing poles, perhaps there is one in the blank manual, you should read it and make your poles the way everone else does, and be a little more conformist in your older age.

 

[eudaemonia]

Because I didn't even grow up with him, it's almost scary how much I'm like my father in temperment, talents and interests. We're both quick of wit and street smart; both natural athletes; both inclined to demanding intellectual and artistic pursuits; both funny, intense, mischievous, w/a fair streak of the scofflaw in us; and both aviation freaks. Downside is that we're also somewhat manic and always running on high-idle. Really bizarre.

Biggest difference, though, is where each of us derives our morality: he from religion, me from ethics. He has no conscience; mine eats at me.

 

[silverwhisper]

[trout-smacks ezzy for being a wiseacre]

:>

ed

 

[Ezzy]

I think I probably take after my parents more than I would like to admit; they were both educators and enjoyed teaching others to stretch their intellect and grasp on any subject.

As I was growing up, I swore I would not follow them into the education field, as a teacher etc, but truth be told, some of the most intellectually rewarding times have been had by me while teaching others.

As for the most important thing they gave me, was an enquiring mind.

They also gave me the ability to say, “I don’t know” when I don’t (with the willingness to look it up if it is a knowable answer). The understanding and willingness to put my “hands up” to my own mistakes (this has been a real job saver once, and a shock to bosses many times), and a love for words and word games. The willingness to learn about anything new, music, art, literature, culture has been a bonus beyond price.

They were / are news readers, watchers and listeners and they paid / pay attention to several sources to try and obtain a balanced view of the information, rather than a biased view. They also were knowledgeable about world history in general and European history in particular,

They both had several languages my mum had English, Latin and French, and my dad had English, Greek and German, they encouraged my sister and myself to pick up additional languages, she picked French, German and Italian and I went with French, but then picked up some German, Spanish, Italian, Malay, Japanese, Portuguese, Danish, Arabic and American English (I am a great believer in George Bernard Shaw’s idea, “England and America are two countries separated by a common language”). It may be only 20 or 30 words in a language, but it is often enough to encourage the locals to help you instead of ignoring you as a foreigner who did not have the consideration to learn even a single word of the local language.

So did they influence me at all? They most surely did.

 

[DLL]

My mom is a lawyer and I guess that influenced me to practice law as well..that and she paid for law school...

 

[midwestyankee]

My mom is a lawyer and I guess that influenced me to practice law as well..that and she paid for law school...

And you, like every other one, must have become a yankees fan due to familial and/or neighborly influences because no rational being would select such a preference when citizenship in Red Sox Nation is available. And since you're a law school grad, presumably you have been fairly well schooled in rational thought.

 

[Râleclins]

Well, my father used to play Squad Leader, so I'm a second-generation wargamer. And he gave me two "choose your own adventure books" (Insert here an ad for Chyoo.com) when I was 6, putting me on a path that would soon make me discover my main hobby, roleplaying games.
About music, I often feel that I've borrowed stuff all around me, especially from my brother and father.

Apart from that, I'm following studies my parents don't know shit about.