“Who am I?” This question is fundamental to the human condition. Our desire for an answer leads many of us into the study of personality types, learning how we might compare or differ with one another in an attempt to better understand our own identities.
For many though, the quest for self-understanding doesn’t begin and end with us, but is a part of an unfolding mystery that stretches back through the ages. Through the study of our own family trees – the study of genealogy – we hope to learn where we came from, so that we can better understand where we’re going. Of course, this isn’t the approach for everyone. We discovered as much when we asked our community whether they agreed or disagreed with the following statement: “You have researched your ancestors and genealogy.”
By comparing the results to the respondents’ personality traits, we noticed an interesting pattern. While most of the traits seemed to agree or disagree in roughly the same proportions, there was one where there was a statistically significant difference: the Energy trait. Divided into Intuitive and Observant types (with 44.42% of the former and 36.13% of the latter agreeing), this trait governs how we perceive the world, and is affected by how we process that information. Accordingly, our interest in genealogy appears to be an internal function (relating to our personality roles) rather than an external one (relating to our personality strategies), an idea that we explore in greater detail below.
Analysts
47.56% of surveyed Analysts agreed that they had spent time looking into their family history, the most of any group responding. Analysts are well-suited for such an activity, drawing on their ability to perceive greater patterns from apparent chaos, as well as their drive to uncover new horizons of inquiry. In some cases, this may have a practical aspect: looking into the genetic history of one’s family for medical reasons, or attempting to establish hereditary claims, on property for example. Often though, the search is an end in itself – a rigorous, fact-based treasure hunt through one’s ancestry. Findings revealed this way, though they may not have obvious relevance to the present, give an Analyst a fuller awareness of their place in the world.
Diplomats
The other Intuitive role, Diplomats, had 42.88% of respondents agreeing that they had researched their family tree at some point. As with Analysts, it’s easy to see how the visionary nature of a Diplomat – curious, imaginative, ever on the lookout for hidden meanings and new possibilities – could lead one to comb through census reports and old newspapers, looking for answers. However, it could be the case that Diplomats, for all their desire to unlock these secrets, may not have the discipline needed to undertake a full-blown genealogical study. They may be just as curious about their family history as an Analyst, but this curiosity may not lead a Diplomat, whose concern lies more in human connections, to study the subject through impersonal research.
Sentinels
Only 38.79% of surveyed Sentinels agreed with the statement that they had studied their own genealogy. In some ways, this is surprising – Sentinels, with their devotion to order and security, are often focused on the bonds of family and the importance of history. However, Sentinels are equally attached to the present and those right in front of them. While they may be deeply committed to the needs of their living family, they may be less interested in their forebears, whom Sentinels may feel are less relevant to current needs.
Explorers
31.54% of the Explorers surveyed confirmed that they had researched their family backgrounds to some degree. Like Sentinels, Explorers place more emphasis on practical matters, not theoretical possibilities. Unlike Sentinels however, Explorers aren’t likely to see the effort of structured, organized, disciplined research into the past as worth the time, when they have so much going on today. Explorers are always looking ahead, refusing to let the past – or anything else – hold them back from their goals.
Conclusions
Although most of us have some level of curiosity about our family history, different people pursue the subject in different ways. The desire to know more about one’s family is common, but how far would you go to find out? Idly wondering who one’s ancestors might be is one thing – tracking down distant relations and scouring online databases for hours and days on end is quite another. As much as this question may relate to one’s desire to know about one’s past, it is just as much a question about method as it is about interest.