It seems like everyone and their mother (literally) are doing these little tests these days. I for one, have no reason to do one, since I don't believe they really say much about who I am, but I do understand their seductive proposition.

I won't touch much on the fact that we are willingly giving away our genetic information, which I find kind of weird, but instead focus on the motivations behind this new trend. I mean, it seems obvious to me that the people who are getting excited about the possibility of being 2% Cherokee, have in one way or another concocted a mental mechanism of justification or self worth edification. I realize that sounds complex, but allow me to explain.

I'm amazing because...

There's nothing wrong with loving ourselves and as I matter of fact, it's probably necessary for all of us to do so to be mentally healthy. Self loathing, which stands in opposition, is not only anti-social by nature, but it's no doubt an ingredient for terrible choices and outcomes.

That being said, I think it's valid to love ourselves for things that we've done, for things that we've accomplished. Finishing a career, successfully launching a projecting, learning a new language, that kind of thing. But taking credit, or feeling pride for something that is pragmatically alien to us, has a sinister foundation, and one that is not too clear for most people.

Learning for example, that I'm of jewish ancestry, should not in any way shape of form edify my notions of self intellect. The idea that I can feel smart, simply because I'm 20% of jewish blood, has more negative connotations that positive ones, starting from the fact that my newly discovered mental prowess is none other than debunked arguments for racial hierarchies. That being said, It's not entirely irrational for someone to hold on to such idea, since all of us want to feel good about ourselves, and up to a point, anything can serve that purpose. All this to say that it's entirely possible in my particular example, that someone can be 20% ashkenazi and be a complete moron, since both scenarios have absolutely no correlation.

But, there's also a darker side to the story...

I'm a victim

Which of course is the one that I find the most toxic. Believing that victimhood is somehow inherited genetically is so wrong, at so many levels, that I struggle to break this down in a short post, simply because I lack the mental tooling to do so.

I'm reminded of this particular video I came across months ago, that truly showcases my point. Now, please understand, it is not my position that racism does not exist, nor that it's something we should not combat. My position on this matter is that there's a flipside to this, a not so noble reason for holding on to racial identities that we are almost forbidden from discussing.

As you might have guessed, this is not the original video. The youtuber who originally uploaded it, has since then deleted the video and there's more than enough reasons for her to have done so. The point here however is that her reaction to the news speaks volumes on where her mind is at.

On a personal note, I think that this youtuber is smart enough and certainly beautiful enough to edify her identify of self worth on other foundations, but it's painfully obvious this is not the case.

Does it really matter?

I guess that's the question that I'm trying to answer. In my opinion it really does not. I mean, how could I take pride on something that I have absolutely nothing to do with. If I had, through some ethereal system of galactic influence, chosen one by one my ancestors, the ones that would one day create my corporal form, I guess I could take pride in my work, but needless to say, such notions are ridiculous.

My point is this. It's fine to know where you come from, it's fine to know your racial composition even, but if you've built a sense of self worth on top of that, on top of your racial ingredients, know you are building a sand castle two feet away from the ocean.