Not be like

I've recently observed in my friends that many of them are trying to "not be like their parent(s)". Some more than other have a strong motivator of being the opposite of their parents, or trying to create the opposite environment from how they grew up. Often times leading to irrational behavior, excessive saving or hording. Which leads me to wonder if I do that myself, and if so, what specifically am I trying to 'not be like'?

Left-hand Suzuki Method

While working on a friend of my mom's home computer this weekend. She was left alone with a toddler for a while. When we got back from Target, I was watching him play with a toy she'd given him that probably shouldn't have been a toy. She noticed he was pulling on it cord with his left hand and commented that he was probably left handed. I grabbed a plastic ring from the every-baby toy (the rod with different sized rings) and handed it to him. Trying to offer it to him from his right side. He grabbed it with his left hand. "Yup," she said "left handed."
She didn't seem to imply anything from it, just and observation. I like to think that I possess non-critical observation skills too. And now see where I get some of it from. I'm not sure why, but I was deeply impressed by her.