Читать книгу Money Mammoth - Ted Klontz - Страница 30

Anthropology is the study of human societies and cultures and is a fascinating field. In studying a culture, anthropologists often immerse themselves into the culture, spending months or years living among the inhabitants. There, they both participate in the culture and observe the inhabitants, looking for insights into people's behavior from a cultural perspective.

Since you probably can't afford to hire an anthropologist to live with your family for a year to study you, you need to do your own research. This is where interviewing your parents, siblings, and other family members can be so valuable. In this process, it is not uncommon to discover stories you have never heard. Sometimes these stories shed light on your parents' behaviors around money. Take the opportunity to interview your family members, asking some of the following questions:

 What was it like for you growing up around money?

 How was money handled by your parents?

 What was it like for grandparents growing up?

 How did you feel about your socioeconomic status?

 What beliefs about money were passed down to you?

 What were your biggest financial mistakes? Successes?

 Do you have any memories that stand out?

Often, these prompts will start an extended dialogue about their money memories. This is a good opportunity for you to listen. Take the time to let them share their memories and experiences around money. You might want to record the conversation and/or take notes. After your interviews, take some time to see if you can see any patterns. Did you notice any recurring themes? What beliefs did they have about money? Did you notice any differences between the childhood experiences of your parents? How did this impact their relationship with money? Do you recognize any of these beliefs passed down to you? How did their upbringing impact the development of your relationship with money?

This type of study can be quite valuable and will give you tremendous insight into your own psychology of money. You might begin to better understand why your parents raised you the way they did. Your parents are as much a product of their parents and early environment as you are a product of yours. Keep in mind that your children are the next in line to inherit this family financial legacy. The great news is that it is not too late to make “edits” to your family legacy.