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Like father like son?

T

The Grood

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 1, 2006
182
0
Are you like your father?

It seems to me that you're either the junior version of your old man in every respect. Or the complete opposite.

I'm the latter, although what they say about you becoming your parents as you get older is defintely true (eg the things you hear yourself saying to your kids etc).

Daughters are you like your mother?
 
Religiously, no.

Politically, he's a big conservative. I'm a Libertarian. So there is agreement when it comes to the economic side of things. Socially (Like marriage, legalizing marijuana), not so much. So we sometimes have heated discussions. Especially when it comes to religion...

My physical appearance, yes, except that I'm four inches taller than he is. :D Plus I'm more physically fit than he is. But he's gettin' old ;)

We like the same sports mostly. We'll watch football on the weekends. Fun times because he has a high def tv. :) Plus I'm getting into golf these days. One thing I look foward to because he and my younger brother are golf fanatics. So this is another chance I can get a little closer.

He can, however, kick my ass in a game of golf. It's embarrassing to be out-driven by him. My drive sucks. My iron game sucks. I can only pitch, chip, and put. But he's better at those three too.
 
There are certain aspects of my personality that I find not too dissimilar to my father's, but he was generally a negative role model for me. One of my missions in life is to not repeat the many mistakes he made.

Over the years I let go of most, if not all, of the anger and resentment I had for him; that really makes it easier for me to follow my own path and not just go down his path again. (See the Alcoholism thread from last week.)
 
My father was a wife beating, violent, abusive, alcoholic, gambling, bigamist loser so I certainly hope not. I will do everything in my power to avoid being like him.

Edit: Having read your post Silencio it looks like we may have been in the same boat there with our father's drinking. My condolences to you and congratulations for moving on with your life. I know how difficult it can be my friend.
 
I am more like my dad than my mum. I look more like him (except he has many more moles), however i am a different build to him so am wider and nearly 4 inches taller. I also share his love of computers which i cannot complain about. i like tinkering and taking apart old computers and new onnes to see the differences (annoyed that my Macbook STILL hasnt been shipped after ordering it on tyhe 3rd).
 
I am a portrait artist and have in the past drawn my self, my mother and my father. After spending a great deal of time studying facial features I can determin exactly which facial features have come from where...

In terms of personality, I have my father's sense of humor and my mothers interest for art, but apart from that we are very different. My parents have short tempers, where as I am very patient and tollerant. My parents hate sport, whereas I love sports.. etc...

I think it is really interesting to find out what you are made up of :D
 
I could be my father's clone. In fact, I look like his clone. We have the same temperment, the same academic strengths and weaknesses, same political views, religious views, etc. You put us side by side we look identical, except he is 20 years my senior and a foot taller. About the only thing I inherited from my mom was her father's shortness. :mad:
 
I have my father's patience, hairline and profession.

I like to think I don't share his politics or spirituality.
 
MacRy said:
My father was a wife beating, violent, abusive, alcoholic, gambling, bigamist loser so I certainly hope not. I will do everything in my power to avoid being like him.

Edit: Having read your post Silencio it looks like we may have been in the same boat there with our father's drinking. My condolences to you and congratulations for moving on with your life. I know how difficult it can be my friend.
Click to expand...


**** fellas. Sorry to hear all this. Makes me feel a whole lot better about my slightly narky, stressy dad.

Good luck...
 
I don't really look like my mother at all but we have the exact same personality. Short tempers and impulse buyers :cool:
 
Silencio said:
There are certain aspects of my personality that I find not too dissimilar to my father's, but he was generally a negative role model for me. One of my missions in life is to not repeat the many mistakes he made.

Over the years I let go of most, if not all, of the anger and resentment I had for him; that really makes it easier for me to follow my own path and not just go down his path again. (See the Alcoholism thread from last week.)
Click to expand...

Sounds like me, though I'm not sure if I've let go. We don't really talk about anything important. We have no relationship. Nor do my brothers (with him).

I do have depression like him. Except that I've recognized it at an early age and tried to overcome it.
 
I certainly hope that I am not like my father.

I honestly hate him, and I can say that staring at him right in his eyes.
 
I didn't realise until recently, but yes. I just think it's little things. My dad never 'played the field', he was married at 20 (and still is at 50). never did drugs or anything. always been a general good guy/family man. I've seen myself following his traits too, I don't want to get married till I graduate from university but I've been with Caroline now for 5 years.
We are/were both skilled at art. his fell apart when he hit 30, but I aim to keep that going :p

He was a tremendous runner though. almost did the Iron Man challenge thing but a knee injury but a stop to that. That's where I'd most like to take after my dad, keeping fit. He was a local legend of a runner. Now just a regular cyclist :eek:

Definitely connected more with my mum though. I'm really natural around her just like my close mates, where I'm a little more serious with my dad. My parents both look similar though (blond hair, blue eyes, tall, slim/toned) so it's hard to point out what comes from where. Definitely haven't got my pops curly hair though!
 
Even though I am adopted, I shared a lot of different traits - more along the line of interests - that my dad had.

Same? Not really. We were pretty different personalities.

Still loved him to death and miss him to pieces. :eek:
 
iGary said:
loved him to death and miss him to pieces. :eek:
Click to expand...
Somehow that juxtapisition of works makes sounds to me like you smothered him and dismembered his body. You just forgot where you put some of the bits. :eek: :p

Anyhow, I too share many of my father's traits, many good, some less so.

B
 
I'm more like my father rather than my mother. Quite unfortunate seeing as I don't like my father's personality very much. Go figure.
 
iSaint said:
Sounds like me, though I'm not sure if I've let go. We don't really talk about anything important. We have no relationship. Nor do my brothers (with him).

I do have depression like him. Except that I've recognized it at an early age and tried to overcome it.
Click to expand...

I was in the same place as you for a pretty long time. Had a minimal relationship with my father for ten years, spanning from shortly after my parents' divorce until he passed away. Took me quite a while to work through everything, but getting him out of my life when I did was really the most important life-changing/saving decision I ever made.

After years of trying, like you said, I still have a bit of difficulty expressing what it was that really got me over the hump. I think I just realized one day that I'd been through a lot of crap in my life and always found a way to get through it, and I finally accepted and internalized the notion that I am a strong person and a good person. Once I cleared that point, I was able to forgive my dad (and my mom, to a lesser degree) for all the bad stuff that happened when I was younger. With that dark cloud lifted off of me, I naturally and quickly dropped a lot of self-defeating behaviors. It was like solving a Zen riddle: a lot simpler than I ever thought; I just had to be ready to see the answer right in front of me. Being happy with myself, something I never thought I'd ever be, has had an incalculable effect on every aspect of my life.

My dearest wish is that I could directly transfer some of that strength and insight to my sister, who is still stuck in a dark place after all this time. I hope she can get there too, but she actually acts like my father in some fairly discouraging ways.

Don't give up! That you recognize what you're feeling and why is a very hopeful sign. You'll get there. And you'll be glad you did.

Kind of back on-topic about similarities: uh, we both DJed in college; we both spent a lot of time thinking about technology and present and future applications thereof; we share an entrepreneurial and somewhat anti-establishment spirit; we share a passion for music and photography; we share a quick temper, though I've gotten a lot better about not giving in to it.

Where we diverge: he had a corny sense of humor; he was a horrid dresser; he hated sports, both playing and watching; he was content with bad movies, mediocre food, and cheap beer.
 
To start I have issues with my dad... so the idea of me becoming like my father just drives me NUTS!

But sad thing is I am becoming like him, he wanted a certain career, ended up somewhere else, it seems i'm going the same route, he has bad conversational skills, so do I, he cant talk to his peers, I cant either, he lets people walk all over him, so do I..... :mad:

On the other hand I did get some of his good traits... cant think of one now... :D
 
nope me and my dad are pretty opposite.
i follow more after my mom.
my sister is more like my dad.

also, i have more of the physical traits of my mother's side, and my sister has my dad's.
 
My Dad is a wonderful man and a great father. We're reasonably similar, he's more pro-active than I am, I tend to let things happen. He's got more conservative views and whilst you'd never notice them he has strong religious beliefs too - he just keeps them to himself.

He's generous, friendly, smart and always there for us - if I turn out to be half the man he is I'll be happy. We differ in many ways but in one way we're exactly the same - our voice. He and I have the exact same voice, only my mother and sisters can tell us apart on the phone. When I go home to visit the folks and pick up the phone everybody thinks it's him - even his relatives and close friends - it's really weird.
 
My dad is mad. No really, he is. He's got some pretty messed psychological issues that are hereditary. I hope to never have his problems, which is half the reason I stay away from illegal drugs (even marijuana). A small trigger could push me over the edge, which would suck arse. :eek:
 
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