Wisdom – are we losing it?
For a few weeks now I’ve been thinking about about wisdom and what it really means.
Many of the simple lessons that we learn as young adults and children make up the bulk of the wisdom passed down through the years. For example why did our mothers and grandmothers tell us they need to eat parsnips only when the first frosts come? Another example being feed a cold and starve a fever! How do you cook a chicken?
In today’s fast moving and politically correct world it seems that it’s frowned upon to pass on simple tips, wisdom in many ways, to our children and families. I’ve even had people say that we should actively stand by and allow people to make the mistakes that we made and while I understand the need to learn from life I can say that just standing by and watching my children make the same mistakes that I made when I was their age is impossibly hard.
The problem as I see it is that because we have been conditioned by political correctness we are in danger of losing the wisdom of the ages. Are we in danger of losing the simple tips passed down from one generation to another that transcend the normal educational process of today because we have become so afraid of offending, of upsetting or disrupting the learning process of our children? Have we abdicated responsibility for our children’s education, to some degree, to our schools? I’m not suggesting for one moment that parents don’t have the best intentions for their families but because we don’t live ‘connected lives’ we are in danger of losing the wisdom that makes our parents and grand parents who they are. What do I mean by connected lives. let me explain – years ago families would live in the same village or street or even in the same house. They would spend hours together – grandparents would spend time with the grandchildren and there is no substitute for time spent if you desire a strong relationship. So what’s it like today? Children can’t wait to get away from home (especially if you live in places where there are few jobs), parents have to work long hours, often they work two jobs, they work shift work and hardly ever see their spouses. You’d be lucky to find children from the same family living in the same town or city – whereas a few years ago they’d form lifelong friends and see each other very day or at least at weekends. Today we struggle to see our children once every few months. I went 5 years without spending any time with my brother. I see my sister once or twice every few months. I have to plan in to see my parents every 4 weeks or so. Is this the way a well functioning society works?
So that leads onto another question. What is the wisdom of the age? When was the last time a father helped his son dig a patch of ground and found seeds? Is it wrong for a mother to show her daughter or son for that matter have to hang out washing said that he doesn’t need quite so much ironing? Years ago food that was left after a meal would be reheated and turned into a delicious meal for the next day. Where does a young mother learn how to dress a new baby?When did I help my son or daughter fix their car? When was the last time I picked fruit with my family and ate it that day?
So my question is this? What wisdom are we in danger of losing? Let’s have your discussion and ideas and see if we can influence the future by being mindful and respectful of the past.
Tags: Best Intentions, Feed A Cold, Feed A Cold And Starve A Fever, Frosts, Grand Parents, Grandchildren, Grandmothers, Grandparents, People, Political Correctness, Politically Correct, Relationship, S Education, Wisdom Of The Ages, Young Adults
