It’s been many generations since anyone in my family has had great wealth. We’ve always managed to get by, but with very little to spare. Perhaps genealogy provides a window into the reasons for this. I doubt I can come to any firm conclusions about why none of my recent ancestors were rich, but I want to take a look at the facts I know.
WHY AM I POOR?
First of all, I think it has nothing to do with IQ. I grew up surrounded by smart, well-educated people—extremely literate—yet my parents and grandparents lived their lives just barely getting by. Even though I have a graduate degree and 50+ years of teaching that I’m proud of, meeting basic expenses is a day-to-day challenge. Why? Speaking for myself, I just don’t like to think about money. I like thinking about “ologies” like genealogy or theology more than I like to think about “ics” like economics or statistics. My head is always studying something abstract rather than doing any real world planning. The suffix -ology has to do simply with “knowing” or studying something. I have a very clear memory of stating as a very young child that when I grew up I wanted to “know” everything. I just love to learn, and I read constantly.