FAMILY STORIES
A third mechanism of family influence is related
to identification, but is more symbolic. Some parents
tell their children stories about relatives —uncles,
aunts, grandparents, cousins—who were, or
are, especially accomplished in some domain. Perhaps
an uncle made an important discovery, accumulated
wealth, performed a courageous act, was a
talented athlete or writer, or a respected public
official. The child is likely to feel pride on hearing
these stories because of the implication that if he or
she is biologically related to this important family
member, the child, too, must also possess some
admirable characteristics. George Homans, an influential
Harvard sociologist, noted in a memoir
written shortly before his death that he coped with
his childhood anxiety over poor school grades and
unpopularity with peers by reminding himself that
he could trace his pedigree back to John Adams.15
Charles Darwin’s description of his father glows
with awe for his father’s intelligence, sympathy,
kindness, and business sense.16 Darwin knew about
the inheritance of psychological features through
his acquaintance with animal breeders and may
have felt that his cognitive talents were inevitable
given his family’s eminence.