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Is age really “just a number”? Might there be a communication gap as opposed to a generation gap?
Most of us revere, admire, respect, love, and embrace our immediate elders as well as those who came before them. Still, our world’s geography and our neighborhoods’ demographics make it is impossible for there to be a one-size-fits-all conversation as it relates to the misconstrued phrase that is commonly used with conviction: “generation gap.”
For millennia, man has imposed his opinion of the importance of chronological age and the privileges that result from (allegedly) having unquestionable maturity, knowledge, and wisdom. However, our values are influenced by our worldview—our life’s exposures that include but are not limited to intellectual and physical environments, spiritual and religious beliefs, and our personal disappointments, failures, and successes—and the language we use to communicate that worldview. Many of us fail to address the fact that the values we boast about and believe are shared by “everyone” may in fact only be embraced in our specific region, geographical and demographic domiciles.
”There is nothing like a good understanding”. — Jean Charles Du Boys, in The Countess of Monte-Cristo (1851)
Among the more advanced generations, our fear of expressing what we “know” and “do not know” to those who look to us for guidance, understanding, knowledge, and wisdom may be a driving force of the “gap” between members of different generations.
Such has been my experience as I have had the pleasure of engaging in thought-provoking, intellectual, fun-filled conversations with individuals who are categorized by their generations: X,Y,Z’s and millennial. All have expressed in very clear terms that they direly want to bridge this “gap” and have a conversation with generations on the other side.
However, they’ve expressed on more than one occasion that when they make concerted efforts to have meaningful, valuable discussions, they are met with resistance and sometimes are forced to entertain the attitudes and disrespect of very angry “mature” individuals. Many of the individuals of my generation, seem to feel very strongly that the X,Y, Z, and Millennial generations are disrespectful, unmotivated and know-it-alls. This brings me to a place that suggests we are embroiled in the throes of a communication gap as opposed to a true generation gap. Birthdays are imminent, someone had to be born first in order for us to have this conversation.
Just a thought: Is it impossible to have youth and experience at the same time?
As it should be, the impetus to correct this sad scenario of what appears to many to be a self-induced situation lies with the elders as we offer guidance and understanding availing ourselves as the wise leaders we profess to be. It is incumbent upon us to set the tone by allowing our young people to grow and to embrace their own experiences.
© Melvin “Casey” Lars
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