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How do we know people character by looking at their signature?

Do you find pieces of the past in your own character?

  • I know this is an eccentricity of mine, but I think that character traits are something passed down through the generations, that they are qualities every bit as real as physical characteristics. I often wonder about how much of myself might have been present 100 years ago, 200 years ago, 300 years, etc. See, I think that there is a continuity in such things, and that pieces of us live on after we are departed, imparted, as it were, in a lineage. I know that this sounds metaphysical and mystical, but I really do not mean it to be so. See, I think that there is so much of our being that cannot be categorized, that there are parts of us that defy being catalogued and qualified. I only know that when people look at another person, and see a bit of another person in them, it is more than just a physical resemblance. I think the character traits that make up a distinct personality live on and are present through the generations. I wonder about the feelings of longing in me, of the thought that there simply has to be more to life, and wonder what ancestor felt the same longing, felt the passion that gave them the sense of themselves, the call to adventure to strike out and make some mark on the world. I wonder how much of my ironic sense of humour lived on in someone from generations past, and what person in my family chain had the same desire to be creative, to try and express themselves. I feel that, doubtless, the sadness I feel so heavily at times was first worn in ages past. This is a heritage, too. I feel that these are parts of the past recaimed, and though I feel them to be mine, somewhere, there is a person who lived in time before me who is looking on and saying, "before you, I was, I felt." I find a strange sense of comfort in this, as well as a desire to touch that tenuous connection, and feel these things that were felt first by another. I probably have not sorted out my thoughts very well here, but I hope you can relate. What of you do you feel has lived before, what part of your character is living, expressing *through* you? I thank you for sharing your contemplations, and taking the time on this question. I salute you, and the people who live yet with you, a community of souls, a lineage represented in your person. I hope you can feel their presence within you.

  • Answer:

    This may have nothing to do with what you mean, but...the first time I saw a picture of the green meadows of Ireland, I was swept with homesickness, though I have never been there. The first time I heard a Gaelic song, my heart began to pound. And perhaps it was my red haired, green-eyed Irish grandmother, who died long before I was ever born, whose blood was calling out, and all her Celtic ancestors before her. And the love of songs and poems and the long nights around the fire or sitting on the front porch in the dark telling stories--perhaps that's a perfect blend of the Irish and the Native Americans who came together to make my family. "Blood calls out to blood. Across the seas, across the centuries, and will not be denied."

Jack B, invisible at Yahoo! Answers Visit the source

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Yes. I have felt things similar to what you described. I have tried to live a certain way lately, but I never connected it to what you said. But, now I believe what you noted did influence my rather new attitude, which is: Harmony is harmony; disharmony is the only sin against God. And, disharmony is the only sin against our neighbors. And, eventually, disharmony is the only sin against ourselves.

Wayne Esterley

This is an interesting post. I do feel that the facets of my personality are just as inherent as the slope of my nose and the way my top lip curls when I smile. When I feel an emotion brewing, I sometimes don't want it, but I already know how stubborn it will be. It feels similar to standing in front of a mirror, an hour before my date is supposed to start, pleading with the baby fine hair I inherited from my mother to hold a curl, or at least some vague style. Considering what parts of me are from what parts of the past is a daunting task. I suppose I would like to imagine a young blond girl in a ruffly dress and an old log cabin, sitting beside her window, writing furiously in her journal.

Linz

I don't know. I've been told I have my grandmother's love of music and creativity. I have an aunt I resemble physically and personality-wise. I think the best memorial to any loved one who has died is to integrate their admirable qualities into our own lives. I also think that's why we love art and music. It validates that we are connected. Someone has felt this before. It's a recognition of something bigger than ourselves.

Contemplative Chanteuse IDK TIRH

To be honest, I sincerely think that I woud have to go back hundreds of years to find a common personality thread with my ancestors.. but I know its there. The Native American pieces of my heritage are dominant in my looks and the ancestors that I "remember" by word of mouth tried so hard to hide the Indian in them as though it were shameful. I never feel more peaceful than I do while being next to the ground under the sun or stars There are other traits from my ancestors that even though they are trace amounts in my blood they call to me stronger than all the rest combined. I have found that I believe things that I really was not conciously aware that I believed. These things have been buried for so many generations because they were considered evil yet these principles are real to me. I know the feelings of things speaking to you without us knowing why. I don't think that I have lived before but parts of me have and as long as the human race doesn't kill itself off some parts of me will live on. ♥FA

FallenAngel©

This is easily amongst some of the best stuff I've ever encountered on this site. It'd be a hard heart indeed that saw simple "eccentricity" in such a wonderfully evocative subject that resonates with all of us. Whether it's in regard to physical skills, cultural affinities, what we like to surround ourselves with or what makes our heart spontaneously glow, arguably a fair percentage of that is handed down from our ancestors. Thankyou for openly and beautifully sharing your feelings on it in a way that alienates or offends no-one. In preserving such artistry and sensitivity through what must have been turbulent times, your ancestors must have been wonderful people to know.

Abyss Child X

"We, I, you, they" are on the wheel. I am not the one to express my thoughts in a coherent way, but I get it. And I feel their presence. The more I let myself be me, that is. I lost it for awhile; it's almost like being born again, this thing about me. Where ya been, Sister?

KitKat

I can categorically agree. I feel the same way frequently. I've always felt a passion for learning about my past and my family's past. Then, in a mythology class, I learned about the collective unconscious and that made it more real to me. Those things that I was searching for - like knowing where I come from, knowing why I feel certain things, and knowing where I'm going after I die, were all felt by people thousands of years ago. It's fantastic. I also started to become interested in genealogy. All I knew about myself was that my last name was derived from French (Cherry - used to be Cherise), and I have a family Bible with names dating back a few centuries. But I didn't know anything about the people, just the names. So, I searched online and in libraries and talked with family members and such, and I found out that my lineage goes back at least to the 10th century. Now, the reason I say that is because you asked if anyone ever wondered what part of ourselves we received from our ancestors. Well, I found out through my various sources that in the 11th century, my family moved to England when Duke William of Normandy gained the English throne. I often feel that my strong loyalty to my friends and family was also felt by these ancestors. They were given land by Duke William for assisting in the Battle of Hastings, and it's actually strange the way I feel so empowered and grateful when I think about it. It didn't happen to me, it happened about a thousand years ago, but a smile still breaks across my face when I think about this. They were among the first to travel to America and some were involved in the Lost Colony. And I believe that is where some of my good-natured rebellion comes from. And despite all of that, since I was a child, I have had a strong passion for the French language and culture, and, really, just France in general. This was before I knew I was French. So, this topic definitely hits close to home. It's something I have thought about quite a lot. I'm always interested when I find someone who feels the same way. Good question. *EDIT* By the way, I don't mean any of this in a spiritual way. I just think it is passed down, but not for any religious reason. I just realized that my response could be taken for a belief in reincarnation or something of the sort.

Kristin C

I honestly do believe in "ancestral voices" and judging the posts from others, we aren't the only ones that feel that way. I find it very comforting, even if it doesn't make a great deal of sense to anyone else.

Radio Jingles

Beautifully composed question! Several interesting sources that address this directly are: My favorite novel, D.M. Thomas's 'The White Hotel', which not only casts history, analysis, and clairvoyance as protagonists; but also treats as its theme (cunningly hidden by the author) -- the unassailable dignity of each human soul. Then there's Scientology that's worth considering. It's entire thesis is based on the residual effects of past behavior and experience (including past lives) on our present. The "Seth" books by Jane Roberts, in particular 'The Nature of Personal Reality'. She/He (channeling), for instance, proposes that our concept and perception of time is merely a convenience of this particular type of existence. "In a more real sense [says 'Seth'], past present and future are better viewed as happening simultaneously. Thus, our actions in the present effect not only the future, but the past as well." Apologies if the last two seem more in the domain of parapsychology than hard science (whatever their claims to authenticity). But after all, the question is hardly addressed if at all by what we consider hard science, is it? To quote D.M. Thomas in his preface: "By 'myth', I mean a popular explanation of a great truth." So until things are shown to be otherwise, who is to say (except the close-minded) that those who claim to have found answers to the unknown are wrong?

titou

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