Do You Have Ancestral Pride?

Many people are proud of their heritage, but it's something I've never connected with

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Growing up, the idea of having ancestral pride is something that always seemed a bit foreign to me. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that my primary ancestry is English, a culture full of things that one shouldn't necessarily feel proud of.

Conquest, empire, colonization, persistent warfare and economic dominance of the earth doesn't exactly resonate with me or elicit a feeling of pride. In fact, if I were to express an emotion in relation to my cultural background it would be sham.

Quite a few of my friends have Irish heritage, a culture that has a much more inspiring history to celebrate than many other European cultures. The Irish have been a perennial underdog with a passionate sense of rebellion running through their veins. If I were Irish, I would probably connect on a deeper level to my ancestral roots than I currently do.

Connecting with your culture without being prideful

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I understand the importance many people have in recognizing and maintaining cultural traditions. While society has become scattered and fragmented in the modern age, tribal roots and connections still maintain a degree of importance.

Without a certain amount of connection to our past, it can be difficult to make sense of the present and understand who we are and how we got here. Many cultural traditions in the western world are primarily centered around consumerist and hollow rituals designed to fuel economic growth instead of the human spirit.

Our identity is constantly evolving throughout our lives and is hardly static or solid. It is important to have reference points to look to for guidance and understanding, but it can be reductionist to attach one's identity to their cultural or ethnic heritage too strongly.

Pride also indicates a degree of superiority over others, which is a false way to build up one's ego and is often a recipe for future conflict with another. What happens when someone badmouths your dominant culture or heritage? If you're overly attached and prideful, it's easy to become defensive and even go on the attack.

Our cultural background is one point on the map that makes up who we are

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It's important to take time to reflect on all of the human beings that made our life possible. Delving into our history, making sense of it, and perhaps even celebrating it can be a useful way to decode our relationship with the world.

But to associate ourselves too strongly with a collective identity has pitfalls, as our individuality can fade away in favor of a prepackaged version, one that's clearly laid out based on cultural lines. If your culture is generally open-minded, it may not be such a negative act to have strong associations with it.

A culture that has toxic ideas and relationships with the rest of the world can lead a person down a road of racial or ethnic superiority, one that inevitably leads to separation and violence. This may be the reason I've detached myself from my English heritage, as these are prevalent throughout much of my culture's history.

I'm still figuring out my own identity as I make my way through life. My ancestral past provides me with an important perspective more than it gives me a sense of pride and it is something that is still evolving to this day.

What is your stance on your ancestry as it relates to your identity?

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All uncredited pictures from pixabay.com or my personal account

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