My beef with the term 'respect your elders'

Now I'm not hatin' on old people here. William Shatner is the man.

But doesn't the term kind of imply you should respect young people less than old people? Plus, even though the general trend is age creates wisdom, some people are idiots until the day they die, lol.

Plus i think if you just assume all old people are nice or wise, the baddie old people will use this to their advantage. And the current leadership is mostly old people, and i certainly wouldn't call it wise!

Thank you for raising this issue.

I look at it this way.
One day I hope to be old.
Really really, like anciently totally old.

Unfortunately people only seem to respect youth and so-called beauty.
So the admonition is more of a reminder not to forget the ancient, or leave them out.

I've noticed a trend through my years.
People don't start dying until they retire.

Apparently belonging, and being a part, is important to the social animal called mankind.

Also here is a web page that has a self test
on one's capacity to respect.

www.indianchild.com...


David Grouchy

Originally posted by davidgrouchy
Thank you for raising this issue.

I look at it this way.
One day I hope to be old.
Really really, like anciently totally old.

Unfortunately people only seem to respect youth and so-called beauty.
So the admonition is more of a reminder not to forget the ancient, or leave them out.

I've noticed a trend through my years.
People don't start dying until they retire.

Apparently belonging, and being a part, is important to the social animal called man.

Also here is a web page that has a self test
on one's capacity to respect.

www.indianchild.com...

David Grouchy

yeah i see what you mean. it's more saying 'dont forget about them, they're people too' not so much saying they're superior on the account of being older/wiser. thanx!

reply to post by 19872012


I respect people worth respecting.

I have elders very worth respecting.

I've met elder very well worth giving a black eye for trying to start fights with me.

Respect is earned.

reply to post by 19872012


I am the first to agree. You require respect, and if some older person does not respect you, you should not be expected to respect them.

But I interpret the term 'respect your elders' to mean that because they have been on this planet longer than you have, they might have some valuable knowledge to pass on.

Then again, just because people have lived longer does not necessarily mean they are wiser. In fact I know a few older people who have never learnt any of life's valuable lessons.

And I know some little kids who seem born knowing what is what. Hmmm - maybe we are all born knowing that, and then adults drum it out of us?

speaking from experience, elder does not always equal age.
however, respect is always earned
elder does not mean wiser or smarter, yet, deserving respect by mere existence.
if you cannot/will not offer respect for the simple fact that a human has experienced more life than you, (at this point in your life), you are not capable of earning respect for yourself.
you must give to receive, this is the balance of life.

reply to post by 19872012


The term simply states what it states with no other implications to be read between the lines. It is straightforward.

Youth and Beauty has been celebrated in all society's for quite some time but it hasn't been until relatively recent times that we find Age and Wisdom being downplayed in favour of youth and beauty. But that is all part of the Failed Experiment of the past 30+ years where youth were empowered over all others.

Today we find "Image" being the mainstay of this focus on youth, that's image with no real substance to it.. or being trendy for no other reason than to fit in with your own Youth Culture and Looking Cool. I find it laughable with the teens wanting to be Individual and yet doing exactly what all the others do.. hair colouring, piercings, etc.. yet still claiming that a slightly different hair colour makes them an individual.. Pffft! Being yourself, not being Sheeple following the trends is what makes you an Individual.

Respect is twofold. It is something that must be given, and earned.. all depending on the circumstances. What much of youth forgets here is that they Demand respect while purposely Disrespecting others.. hence they as yet are not mature enough to handle the concept thus not so deserving of it themselves.

Wisdom isn't great knowledge. Wisdom is how you put knowledge into Action.. how you live it makes it Wisdom.

For youth, there is an understandable lack of Wisdom because as yet they have not lived long enough to have gained great knowledge.. and thus are not Adults nor Elders themselves.. Yet. And funnily enough while they vehemently disagree with it now, their ideas and desires will change as they mature.

Yes it is true that some people can be idiots right up into the old age... but they are the minority. At the moment there are people in their 30's who were the first wave raised in this Failed Bleeding Hearts Experiment who have had kids of their own, and who's kids now have their own kids too. That's 3 'generations' raised progressively more ineffectively with unbalanced assumptions and expectations of having what people earn over their lifetime, including Adult Rights and Priviledges.. the very things Youth Demand as a right without ever earning it and rarely showing they are mature enough for it yet.

I've been speaking with a lot of people about these same issues, I've observed the Failed Experiement from it's inception and find it is necessary for a Rewind Project to bring us into some form of Balance where kids are kids with a real Childhood, not being forced via Media's Sexualization into Adult Concepts and Actions before they are developmentally ready, learning how to grow into effective, Self-Directed Adults and only getting what they Earn.. exactly as it works in the real world.

End old guys rant

reply to post by Tayesin


Youth and Beauty.

Age and Wisdom.

Which of these does not match?

Answer - both!

Youth - not always beautiful, but young. Facelifts etc - time to question that maybe? People who can't be themselves?

And judging someone by the way they look - that may be OK at first, but if they don't have anything inside that matches what you have inside - disaster. And then their facelift etc falls - ugh.

What I am trying to say is no-one has the right to judge you, and everyone has the right to live the way they want.

A lot of old people are ignorant. A lot of young people are wise - but they have a tough time being heard.

Originally posted by catwhoknowsplusone
reply to post by Tayesin

 

Youth and Beauty.

Age and Wisdom.

Which of these does not match?

Answer - both!

Youth - not always beautiful, but young. Facelifts etc - time to question that maybe? People who can't be themselves?

And judging someone by the way they look - that may be OK at first, but if they don't have anything inside that matches what you have inside - disaster. And then their facelift etc falls - ugh.

What I am trying to say is no-one has the right to judge you, and everyone has the right to live the way they want.

A lot of old people are ignorant. A lot of young people are wise - but they have a tough time being heard.

Hi Cat and thanks for your reply.

They do match up, because they are only different stages along one line.. Life.

I agree with the need to just be Yourself at all times instead of the pretensions of Image.

I think you will find this ignorance from the old is them not being able to find some form of common ground.. and yet it would be my hope that all people could remember their teens and early adulthood. Those of us who do, and who are totally honest about it will tell you something about it.. how stupid they were as teens. It is just part of the territory on the way to Adulthood.

No point comparing ourselves to anyone else. The Wisdom you talk about is not gained from a lifetime's learning, it is the natural wisdom from within themselves that shines when they are working the positive aspects of Youth. I know this first hand as one of the forerunners of change born here in 1960.. even then I could see what others were blinded to.. especially the adults who were working happily enough inside their own Indoctrinations.

Almost all of the teens I know and meet today have a highly inflated sense of Self.. so much so that anything an Elder may have to say to them is followed with, "Who the F... are you to tell ME what to do?" They laugh and throw back abuse in order to provoke a response from the elder.. this is not respect of any kind, this is no respect for themselves.

When an Elder sees Youths up to no good, or breaking Laws that effect everyone else, then all Adults have the right to Stand up and Speak up. That is how it was in my day, and how it should be today except most of the Adults live in Fear now... fear of the knife in the chest, fear of the kicking from a pack of " dogs". That is no way to live.. it is time to Take Back Our Power.

I take each person on their own merit no matter what age they are.

Do they speak honourably and without swearing in my presence? Do they honour the Rules of My House when they enter it? I always offer one chance after telliing them the Rules in My House, and then if they persist with their degrading behaviours I eject them physically.. as I have a right to do in My House.

Virtually everyone who was born and raised in the past 30 years has something missing in their make-up.. the Tools to understand older generations points of view and expectations. This is a direct resulty of the Failed Bleeding Hearts Experiment of this past 30 years

I can say that honestly because I've been around the world, seen all sorts of different cultures and observed this Agenda from the moment it began.. whereas anyone born in that timeframe cannot hope to see it for what it really is.. you should easily agree with his because it says that without the knowledge of a thing we cannot hope to have a real opinion on it.

What I am trying to say is no-one has the right to judge you, and everyone has the right to live the way they want.

I agree no one has that right, but most do it anyway.

And, you will find that no one has the right to live as they want.. too many laws were created under the control-agenda for that to become a reality. You will only ever be allowed to live as oyu wish when that fits into the Dream we are Indoctrinated with from birth.

reply to post by 19872012


Most people have no wisdom, other than wanting there genital areas felt.

Enough said, i do not have idols, and never will.

Through personal experience I have learned this fact: a young useless butthole becomes an old useless butthole. Age doesnt necessarily mean they lose the buttholishness and all of a sudden become wise or deserving of respect.

It used to be a cultural thing.. as in we had more morality and drive to evolve personally. Not so much in the last few generations. Most of us stay the same from cradle to grave and never personally or spiritually evolve into a wise elder deserving of respect. IMO its insane to expect anyone to hold to old axioms when the rules have changed as far as personal growth and cultural morals/beliefs/standards.

reply to post by Advantage


The ptb have a system of who they listen too, and i have to agree with how it works. Most people are just ignored, and will be all there lifes. Not there fault, they are just part of the same crowd.

Originally posted by andy1033
reply to post by Advantage

 

The ptb have a system of who they listen too, and i have to agree with how it works. Most people are just ignored, and will be all there lifes. Not there fault, they are just part of the same crowd.

I dont really care who the PTB listen to.. or how they WANT it to work. It should never be used as an excuse for people not to strive for personal growth... in order to become the elder deserving of respect.

Originally posted by Tayesin
I take each person on their own merit no matter what age they are.

Do they speak honourably and without swearing in my presence? Do they honour the Rules of My House when they enter it? I always offer one chance after telliing them the Rules in My House, and then if they persist with their degrading behaviours I eject them physically.. as I have a right to do in My House.

Not sure if I fully understand what you are saying if you mean that literally or as a metaphor. What do you mean by entering your house? Because I think a meeting of the minds is always on the streets, the common grounds. And even then I've come to believe I don't really leave my house, nor does anyone else, it's more like remotely controlled robots whom it's owner identifies with go out everyday. All these robots reinforce that suggestion so much so the owners have come to believe they are the robots. If that makes any sense.

reply to post by 19872012

My beef with the term 'respect your elders'

Leaving skid marks, are ya?

I have four younguns... all grown now. They've either gone off to college or gotten married and made rug rats of their own. I tried to teach them to show respect not just to their elders, but to everyone. Know why? Because you will - invariably - be shown the same degree of respect, or lack thereof, that you show others.

And... respecting those who are older is no sin. Honestly. They have been around... gone places, done things, seen sights you can not possibly imagine because, life is just not that predictable.

In fact, if you were to listen to those with a few specks of gray hair, you might actually learn a couple of things that could someday save you from a little heart (or ass) ache.

But then again, don't pay any attention to me. I am no longer young enough to know everything.

Where's my Geritol?

Originally posted by Dragonfly79
Not sure if I fully understand what you are saying if you mean that literally or as a metaphor. What do you mean by entering your house? Because I think a meeting of the minds is always on the streets, the common grounds. And even then I've come to believe I don't really leave my house, nor does anyone else, it's more like remotely controlled robots whom it's owner identifies with go out everyday. All these robots reinforce that suggestion so much so the owners have come to believe they are the robots. If that makes any sense.

Hi,

When I said My House I meant My House, the building I live in... which is where I have the opportunity to meet most teens due to my daughter being a teen. Many others I meet in the street or shopping centres. I've taken in teens who were kicked out of home and helped them only to be excremented on by them. That won't stop me helping anyone if they are in need.

And a meeting of minds is possible once people drop their Facade.. their Image, and allow their light to shine... no matter what age they are.

But the idea "If someone is elder, respect them" does not imply "If someone is not elder, don't respect them". It implies the contra-positive, not the inverse. It says nothing about how you should treat young people.

reply to post by 19872012

I have a certain satifaction in hearing my 28 year old daughter explain to my 18 year old son, "You don't even know what you don't know!"

That's why you ought to respect your elders...dumb arses notwithstanding...because as hot as you might think you are, you don't necessarily get it, just yet.

You do not have to earn my respect, you can only lose it.

That's all I have to say about the matter.