Genealogy, n. An account of one's descent from an ancestor who did not particularly care to trace his own.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Bierce jokes that genealogy traces people to ancestors who did not want to be traced.
- In plain terms
- Genealogy records come from ancestors who did not care about their own history.
- What can you take from it?
- It mocks how we study the past despite lack of interest from the past.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Why do we trace family lines?
- How important is ancestry?
Another view
Many ancestors did want their families recorded for future generations.
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