The oldest person I ever met (by year of birth) was born in 1906. The oldest person I ever knew was born in 1914. I’ve gotten to know many fascinating people across several generations in my relatively short lifetime. In my conversations with them, I’ve gained valuable knowledge and insight that have shaped me into who I am today. However, it would seem as though modern American society is increasingly self-centered. There’s a blatant disregard for the wisdom and experience of older generations, and I believe it undermines the development of our culture.
Over the past few decades, societal values in America have shifted towards individualism and self-promotion, often at the expense of community and family ties. With the advent of social media, we have witnessed the rise of “influencers,” who make a living by selling themselves out to advertisers and acting as role models for the youth. Besides, the “selfie” culture that gained traction within the past decade has placed a glorification on achieving perfection of oneself over the collaborative whole. Personal achievements take priority over community engagement, connectedness, and collective wisdom. Perhaps the decline in multi-generational households and the gradual decay of the nuclear family contribute to the limited transference of knowledge. Regardless, there’s an evident focus on self-fulfillment rather than learning from and honoring the experiences of older generations.
Our elders offer a wealth of experience and knowledge invaluable to society, but this resource is sadly overlooked. My family has a tradition of eating lunch together on Tuesdays. On Saturday afternoons, we go to Mass at our local church. In our time spent together, we often recall stories of my late grandparents and the tales they passed down to us from long ago. Although it all sounds idyllic, these fairly simple things we take for granted are crucial derivatives of elder wisdom and tradition. These practices keep us grounded in our faith and connected with our family. In 2022, a study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information found that young people who interacted with older adults reported more positive views on life purpose, more comfortable attitudes towards older people, and interest in working with them. Speaking from experience, older people tend to give the best advice. As the philosopher George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Without a sense of historical awareness, the social fabric of our society becomes distressed. This has real-world ramifications on everything from relationships to basic finances.
The self-absorbed mindset of today’s world, combined with a lack of respect for the insight of our elders, has significant and widespread repercussions. For instance, without the basic advice of a parent or guardian, many wouldn’t know the first thing about balancing a checkbook or filing their taxes. They could also buy into false narratives and empty promises, and build trust in charlatans who are only out to make a quick buck. While it’s true that YouTube and other social media outlets have provided a way to receive practical advice from “qualified” individuals, they aren’t always the most reliable tutorials. Additionally, the decline in skilled labor and tradespeople can be linked to the dissolution of family businesses. I harken back to the breakdown in family structures to help understand the need for these YouTube tutorials to teach skills that used to be passed down generationally. Perhaps the heightened sentiments of isolation among our elderly could be fixed if we relied on our flesh and blood to help us get by instead of a stranger on the opposite end of the nation or the globe.
As I’ve already hinted, many factors contribute to the increased apathy towards the insight of the elderly. Besides the gaps created by technology, ageism has run rampant among young folks in the 21st century. In the media and on television, we often see portrayals of the elderly as outdated and irrelevant. This perception affects real people. According to AARP; “Research shows that about two in three adults ages 50-plus in the labor force (64%) think older workers face age discrimination in the workplace today. And among them, nearly all (90%) believe that age discrimination against older workers is common in the workplace.” (AARP Research, 2022) Agism is no joke in a rapidly aging job market, straddled with decreased benefits/pensions offered by companies. These common stereotypes and misconceptions feed into the self-centered mindset of younger generations and perpetuate the cycle. What is left to learn if young people believe they have all the answers?
Modern America’s self-centered culture has led to a dangerous neglect of the wisdom offered by older generations. The data show a drastically positive impact of aged wisdom on younger generations in their formative years. With the disappearance of time dedicated to spending time with elderly family and friends, we risk losing swaths of knowledge. Why are we embracing a culture of self-centeredness instead of respect and wisdom, when we could learn valuable life lessons from our grandparents or elderly coworkers? I encourage each of you to reflect and seek out the knowledge and insights of the elderly. Perhaps you’ll learn something worthwhile.