We all come from the past

The reaction of people to the meeting with his counterpart - one of the favorite themes for every show and fairly common course in cinematography. And it probably will always be in demand because it is quite interesting. Well, here you are, for example, how would react when meeting with his counterpart? And if you suddenly found your copy on the canvas when visiting an art gallery?
That's the story happened with Max Galuppi, Temple University student, visiting the Philadelphia Museum of Art. More precisely, he-he just did not notice anything, but his girlfriend was more observant and found a surprising similarity her boyfriend with a man in the picture izobrazhenlnym the XVI century. Since then, and Max did not see anything, Nicky photographed against the backdrop of his "Portrait of a gentleman with a glove to a duel." Doubts evaporated. The resemblance is really strong.
It is clear, then a young man interested in their family tree. It may well be that a relative of the portrait. Man ancestors came from Italy, the work of the museum - painted by an unknown Italian artist.
In principle, the finished story for the script. As an accident (whether by accident?) Fundamentally changes the life of the protagonist.
That's just for me, the question - why do we begin to take an interest in their past only after some significant events. Why do we rarely know their origin on-grandfather's great-grandfather?