We all inherit physical traits, talents, disease susceptibility and other genetic factors from our parents. But we also receive psychological inheritance.
Beliefs and prejudices, instilled during our dependent years, must be dealt with. As we mature, they demand compliance or rejection, often placing us at odds with our parents and siblings. In some cases, they have been associated with abusive behavior, augmenting their power and diminishing our ability to dislodge them; counseling may be necessary. If the beliefs are especially rigid or extreme, they tend to ignite a reactionary response, breaking ties with those who instilled them.
Eventually, this psychological baggage and how we approach it determines our personal philosophy and greatly influences how we raise our own children.
