Quote:
Originally Posted by TracySam
I started thinking earlier today while participating in another thread, that my love for genealogy seems to be a "symptom" of my larger tendency to appreciate the past and love history much more than I appreciate or like what is modern.
|
I think it's a very cyclical symbiotic relationship. I got into history mostly because I started to get into genealogy, but then I get into genealogy because I start getting into periods of history, then swapped again, etc. Definitely a self reinforcing behavior.
Quote:
|
First, let us know if you're someone who is into genealogy/ancestry. Yes/No
|
yes
I'm also going to cheat on the rules a bit, will answer A or B, then give my real answer
Quote:
|
1. If you had unlimited funds to buy a house, and the neighborhoods and distance to work are equivalent, would you rather choose A. a very modern sleek home with all the modern conveniences, or B. an older historical home with architecture and style from an earlier age?
|
B
Really I'd choose somewhere in between. I want all the modern conveniences, though I'd style the majority of it as old, specifically I'm a fan of old world grand and intricate styles.
Quote:
|
2. If you won a contest and you are getting a VW Beetle that is in mint condition but you have a choice between new or vintage, would you choose A. the brand-new 2016 model or B. a vintage mid-century model? Assuming they both work perfectly, have A/C, etc.
|
A
Probably because I'm just not a big Beetle fan. It also matters if it's my only car or an additional car... If it's my only car then A... if I already have modern car (with modern luxuries and benefits, like emissions, mileage, sensors, backup-camera etc) then I'd go B.
Quote:
|
3. You have a time machine, and you can make only one trip back and forth, and there's no chance of you screwing up world history. Do you go to A. the future or to B. the past?
|
B
That's my instinct at least, the more I think of it the more I think I might do A. Such a tough choice.
Ironically if we go down the rabbit hole of a time machine and consider that going to the past might cause a problem (I know that wasn't the context of the question) then going to the future would be a safe option. Even "viewing" the past, which is intercepting light from the past and time traveling it forward (what sight is), that alone could change the future. Though going to the future would seemingly be safe. Random tangent... I really wish we could send a time traveling drone back that could safely record things and come back... would answer so many questions and I'm sure would burst *many* bubbles on what people thought happened.
Quote:
|
4. Would your ultimate meal be A. a modern, trendy, very fashionable dish, or B. an old-fashioned recipe that's been used for 100 years?
|
B.
I like modern cuisine, though not really attached to cuisine based on era. Given the choice I'd default to B, though it really depends on the specifics.
Quote:
|
5. Do you prefer A. modern, sleek furniture, or B. antiques? You have no choice in between, and can only pick one or the other.
|
B
Though not all antiques are created equal. Basically comparing all modern to all antique is like comparing 2 decades (give or take) to hundreds of decade options or more... The later gives you immensely more options. Though I get the point of the question. Also modern isn't the same in every culture necessarily (though there certainly are modern trends throughout).
Quote:
|
6. Would you rather spend two hours talking with A. a relative who is alive today, but who you don't get to see very much, or B. a relative from the past who has been dead for years?
|
B
I think this hits on something that can be a negative of genealogy, over-romanticizing the past a bit.
Quote:
|
7. Any product in the grocery store: All things being otherwise equal, do you pick A. the "new improved" or B. the "classic"?
|
A
Honestly this comes down to specifics. I really don't want to answer at all, since some new products are massive improvements (sometimes in quality, safety, etc) and some are just made to be cheaper than "classic".
Quote:
|
8. Does the largest percentage of your day-dreams take place in the A. future or in B. the past?
|
B
The "present" or "near future" comes either first or a close second.
Quote:
|
9. Do you prefer to A. toss/sell any belongings that are old or related to memories of people who aren't in your life anymore or B. keep mementos that remind you of your childhood, early life, or people from your past, and look at them from time to time and reminisce?
|
B
This is a tough one since I have de-clutered many times. My real answer would be B with limitations, I don't keep everything that keeps a memory or nostalgia, I keep some things that do.
Quote:
|
10. When you can pick any ring tone on your cell phone, are you more likely to choose A. a modern-sounding beep or a new popular song, or B. an old-fashioned telephone bell ring or an old classic song.
|
A
The real answer is leave it as default lol. Despite being a software engineer developing technology for mobile games (for years) I actually just usually leave the stock ringtone or switch to another stock one.
Quote:
|
11. You get free tickets to a famous music band/singer in the genre of music you love most. Do you hope the concert is A. Mostly new songs recently released or not released yet, or B. Mostly the old classics you know by heart?
|
B
Depends on the band though... if I'm excited for what they are currently doing, or they're a band that tends to change it up from album to album in ways I enjoy then it might be A. If it's something that I only really enjoy their classic stuff, then B.
I enjoy all sorts of music, but one example in the hard rock/metal genre is I'd choose B if it was a Metallica concert, don't like their new stuff and feel they hit their creativity peak a while back. If it was Shinedown I'd probably like a mix of both, but would really be interested in A, since I tend to like how they change things up from album to album. First example that popped in my head, probably because I really like Shinedowns newest album (which differed moderately from some past ones) and it didn't come out too long ago (so fresh in my mind)... and I was just watching some youtube clips of some of the old Metallica documentaries.
Quote:
|
12. You go back to visit your childhood home town, which is more likely? A. You love all the new development, new stores, beautiful housing that's been built to replace old useless properties, or B. you feel sad that it looks so different from when you were a kid. That favorite tree is gone, that open field is now a shopping center, and you almost feel like crying.
|
A
This is mostly an artifact that I grew up in a big city (Phoenix, AZ the 6th biggest city in the US) so there's not a lot of geographical attachment to city blocks. Also my parents never owned a home while growing up, so we really didn't have a house that was just ours (spent a lot of time in apartments, some in rented houses) and didn't have a very specific set of geography that I purely attach to my upbringing.
I've noticed this changes my perspective on some things. When I watch house hunting tv shows I see people often gravitate towards the house they grew up in, usually that their family owned. Since my family didn't own a home and I think the longest stretch in a house was like 3 years or so and considering the longest stretch growing up was in an apartment actually, I think that has left me with no real attachment to housing styles I grew up in.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
