In its extreme shapes maybe, but just paying respect to the elders for having lived much longer and seen so much more, is something that should be normal in my opinion.
It used to be a lot more reasonable back in the day.
When the world didn't change as quickly, or didn't change at all, the elders truly knew everything the young ones knew, and so much more. They had truly seen everything and had plenty of experience with the problems young people were struggling with.
This very much isn't the case any more. I'm in my twenties (technically part of gen Z), but I already feel like I don't understand the Tiktok-using, trap-loving part of my generation. The 14-18 year olds probably have very different issues now than I did at that age, and that wasn't even so long ago. People from my parents' generation are out of the loop completely, their world still revolves around linear TV, college as a path for success in life etc.
Oh, I am also not asking my grandparents for concrete life or technical advice. I am just talking about respect of their age, what they experienced and lived through.
I really don't get why just the concept of deserving respect for having lived longer - why does that make you more deserving of respect, irrespective of how you lived?
But... why does living longer in and of itself command an extra degree of respect?
> And are usually more wise in life experience.
assertion ;)
> That doesn't mean I tolerate old farts shouting at my children for being young. Or excuse shitty behavior in general.
> But the default for me is paying respect for the elders.
> Offering them my seat in the train if there is no other, etc.
I offer old people my seat because they'll likely feel pain if they have to stand up for a while, they might fall down if the bus goes bump, etc. I won't be pained by standing up for 45 minutes so it doesn't really come at any cost to me.
i.e. I'm not giving up my seat because I respect old people for being old.
"That's not a reason, you're just repeating the question. "Having lived long" is a value neutral statement of fact. How do you derive value from that?"
It is a reason in itself.
I don't know if I manage to live 10 years more, not speaking of 50 years more.
Living long is a achievent on its own, not be brought down early by life. Because there is a lot that life has to offer to bring you down.
~99% of people manage that, it's like the worst possible indicator for the wisdom or quality of a person.
All while at the same time putting everybody who didn't get the chance yet below them. It feels very arbitrary - there are a lot of better indicators than age for that.
It's a tougher sell when the younger generation gets the short end of the stick.
In a way that would be a good barometer of how that society thinks it's doing and how promising the younger generation sees its future, as prepared by their elders.
It's all the more interesting in countries where the population pyramid if fully reversed, and elders have way more power than the younger working class.
