Becoming a Good Ancestor
As I reflect on life today and the stories of those I admire, I am reminded of the kind of ancestor I hope to become. My grandfather, Rumunyiire, is remembered as a great man, a great ancestor. Though he passed away in the 1970s, the tales of his strength and courage continue to live on.

He was a man of the hills, vast, endless landscapes where he thrived alongside the lions that roamed them. While many feared these wild lands, he embraced them without hesitation. It was on these very hills that he built his home, crafting mud houses and cultivating the land. Yet, he did not seek to tame nature entirely. He left the drinking places and salt licks untouched, allowing the animals to partake in the rhythms of the wild, harmonizing with the landscape he so deeply respected.

To this day, when I walk those lands, I still see the mineral licks, marked by signs that animals continue to use them. He forbade us from ever tampering with them, ensuring that his legacy of coexistence with nature endured long after he was gone.

Conversations with the elders reveal that my grandfather was not only a strong and courageous man but also a kind and honest one. He was known for his generosity, often sharing food from his plantation with the village during times of hunger.

After each harvest, when he returned to the village, he would host grand gatherings, celebrations filled with laughter, food, and a deep sense of community. He ensured that no one left empty-handed. His presence brought warmth and abundance, and people eagerly anticipated his visits, knowing they would be filled with joy and the promise of another unforgettable celebration.

Beyond his generosity, he was a man of principle and justice. Whenever someone in the village committed an immoral act, he was among the first to speak out. He would forbid such behavior, discourage those involved, and ensure that corrective measures were taken within the community. He upheld the values of those around him, not out of self-righteousness, but because he believed in the importance of a strong, moral society.

However, despite the many stories that paint him as a saint, I do not believe he was one. I have walked this earth for 27 years, encountering countless people, yet I have never met anyone who truly fits the description of sainthood. By that logic, my grandfather couldn’t have been one either.

What I do believe is that he was a good man, one who did a great deal of good for his children and his community. His kindness, courage, and generosity left behind stories that have endured through generations, so much so that they have overshadowed any faults he may have had. And perhaps that is the true measure of a life well lived, not the absence of flaws, but the presence of an undeniable and lasting impact.

What Does It Mean to Be a Good Ancestor?
When I am asked this question, my answer is simple:

To be a good ancestor is to do a great deal of good, not just for your immediate generation, but for the generations that follow. True greatness is measured by the lasting impact of one’s actions, shaping a future where others can thrive. The highest form of good is one that prevents existential catastrophe, ensuring that those who come after us inherit a better world.

History offers many examples of such ancestors, figures like Nelson Mandela, who fought for the rights and dignity of South Africans, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire.

In my time, there are individuals whom we believe have the potential to become great ancestors, people like Bobi Wine, Kizza Besigye, and Justice Kisakye. However, history will be their ultimate judge. Time will test their actions, challenge their legacies, and determine whether their impact endures.

If future generations continue to feel the weight of their influence, if their work continues to shape lives long after they are gone, then they will have truly become good ancestors.

And that, above all else, is the legacy I, too, hope to leave behind.

Who doesn't want to be a good ancestor given a choice? Indeed the answer would be yes for almost all of us. But what it means to be a good ancestor may be a vague idea to think upon as most of us doesn't want to think beyond a very predictable near future.also we are not trained to think to a distant future timeline. I think it requires practice and common man is not bothered about those bits of extra stress and strain on their brain.

Few traits which I think is a prerequisites for being a good ancestor:

1. Well Informed - information guides and shape our thought, helps us to imagine and finally leads to a better decision. Being open to diversity of information always helps to weigh the decisions against different sets of data hence increased is the chances of better outcome.

2. learning to unlearn- with ages we all accumulate different sort of informations based on our immediate environment,traditions and practices. Many times learning new things create conflicts untill we unlearn some.

3. Accepting chage- for changing the world a better place personal opinion and decisions can be compromised at any cost.

4. Long termism- Thinking and learning and discussing about issues and topics which are beyond the present or near future timelines may seems to be a friction and fantacy but it helps taking actions for future. Imagining a world which is far from today is not everyone's cup of tea, it needs practice and going through a continuous process of learning about how to think logically about the unknown based on available information and facts.

5. Art of giving- unconditional giving is an art. It's not an spontaneous decision man takes with very little exception. Only a child can show some acts of unconditional giving. For a man with matured or developed brain can rarely show the signs of unconditional love or giving anything. A learned man can give unditionally but mostly after training and practicing the act willfully.

That's only a few which comes to my mind for now, but there may be more and may be I'm missing the the most important ones. I'm open to explore more from others views on the subject.

What is the definition of good?

I think it is a return to the nature of human beings to meet their basic needs for survival and to achieve a prosperous life, where each person realizes his or her potential, where human relationships are good, and where there is harmonious social coexistence. 

This requires a society that is fair, diverse, accepting of different opinions and a healthy ecosystem.  Therefore, I believe that as good ancestors, we need to establish a system that monitors and takes preventive measures for all of these elements to ensure that they are not jeopardized by short-term interests. And when we know that development has deviated from the direction, we must make timely corrections.

Exercise Reflection: What Does It Mean to Be a Good Ancestor?

Thinking about what it means to be a good ancestor is important. When we think about the future, we should consider how our actions today affect the lives of our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A good ancestor is someone who cares about the long-term impact of their choices. They think about how today’s decisions can shape the world for future generations.

A good ancestor is responsible, meaning they take care of the environment and society. They make choices that help the planet and ensure that future generations have what they need to live well. They also show empathy, which means they understand and care about the struggles of people in the future. Being forward-thinking, they embrace new ideas and technologies that can solve big problems, even if those solutions come with some risks. They need to be courageous too, standing up for what is right, even when others disagree.

In terms of actions, a good ancestor invests in solutions that will help the future, like supporting projects that fight climate change and improve public health. They promote education by learning about the challenges future generations might face and sharing that knowledge with others. They also advocate for strong rules and agreements that protect future generations, pushing for policies that focus on sustainability and ethics.

A good ancestor believes in fairness for everyone, making sure that future generations have equal rights and opportunities. They want to leave a positive legacy, which means they take steps to create a better world for those who come after them. By being responsible, caring, and active in creating change, we can all be good ancestors and help build a brighter future for the generations to come.

A good ancestor. One who has ancestors is a descendant. Descendants need not be a genetic lineage (not necessarily even human), but rather the constitution of the living world some time into the future. A good ancestor should act in the present, with a specific vision for the future. A good ancestor should ideally "add value" to the world, that is, reduce suffering one way or another. This of course could be through means of direct, focused work toward progression of a relevant and underserved cause, or by philanthropy of any means. A good ancestor is one who takes a look at every major action they take, every donation they make, beyond the numbers, and asks themselves, "how will this affect the world after I've gone?" They research this well and inform their opinions with such. A good ancestor provides.

We all want our kids, people around us or our future grandkids and great grandkids to remember us for some good deed we did instead of bad deeds. Having said this, i think  a good ancestor  should be one who is part of advocacy againist vices such as racism, women and men exploitation, terrosism among others. He or she should be in the frontline fighting against things that harm humanity and ensuring that the ultimate goal is survival.

A good ancestor should also be open minded, open to the changing society, open to learning and open to listening to people around him or her. Lastly, a good ancestor should be involved in giving back to the community hence impacting a number of people positively.