What it means when you say "Snobs talk as if they had begotten their own ancestors"?

Answer 1

To "talk as if they had begotten their own ancestors" suggests that they think they know more than their (older and wiser) parents, grandparents, etc.

After all, much of what we know about life, relationships, etc., is what we learned from our parents and grandparents when we were growing up. So we learned from them. To describe someone as a snob using your definition suggests that they are unwilling to admit they have learned from their elders--and to pretend that they taught their elders all that they know.

Answer 2

The word "begotten" is the past participle of the word beget which means "to father; sire" or "to cause to exist or occur; produce." I think the second definition is the most apt for this quote. The snob is so arrogant that he feels HIS life makes the lives of those who came before him meaningful.

Answer 3

My take on it is that a snob, one who has no particular redeeming or noteworthy qualities of his own, but who has noteworthy ancestors, behaves as though those ancestors' qualities (which he doesn't possess himself) somehow make HIM important.

Answer 4

These people think they are superior in every way. The expression means that nothing of significance could have possible come before them. Therefore, they must have begotton the past.