How Are We Supposed to Respect Our Elders?
Why is it that people keep saying "Respect your elders!" but nothing about doing the same for the young ones? Most religions teach us that God hates people who disrespect their parents, hence it is sinful. What if we respect our parents but they don't have the courtesy to treat us the same way? What does it say about them?
Why is it that people keep saying that "We're young, we don't know any better." But adults make mistakes too, old people makes mistakes too. What does our age have anything to do with it? What qualifies them to know more, to be able to judge better and choose the right things? Aren't we all humans in the end?
Parents can be authoritarian. It's appropriate when we're little, I suppose, but why can't they treat us like equals after we've gone through all these things that forces us to grow up? They say we don't listen and they say we don't tell them anything. But they're the ones who don't listen; I tell them things all the time. But they nod it away and humoured me as if I was still 3 years old, playing house. And when they realise that I tell them something significant, they do nothing but get in my way. And they wonder why I don't tell them things.
Parents almost always change their minds. One minute they're lamenting about how you choose career over education, the next they accuse you of draining their wallet by pursuing a higher degree-despite the generous scholarship you manage to pocket. They judge without question, unwilling to understand our point of view. They're quick to point out our flaws but hesitant to name our strengths. They passive aggressively criticise our behaviour/personality, but somehow unable to see their own faults and wrongdoings. God forbid we criticise them!
They demand respect from us, but refuse to reciprocate.
They quickly see our shortcomings, but unable to acknowledge the same in themselves.
Parents push and pull at use, like a tug of war. Telling us we could be anything, but quickly reject our dreams. Telling us we should have a principle, but will not listen to what we stand for. Telling us the world is tremendous place, but confine us to our beds.
So here I ask you: how are we supposed to respect our elders when they won't respect us?
Why is it that people keep saying that "We're young, we don't know any better." But adults make mistakes too, old people makes mistakes too. What does our age have anything to do with it? What qualifies them to know more, to be able to judge better and choose the right things? Aren't we all humans in the end?
Parents can be authoritarian. It's appropriate when we're little, I suppose, but why can't they treat us like equals after we've gone through all these things that forces us to grow up? They say we don't listen and they say we don't tell them anything. But they're the ones who don't listen; I tell them things all the time. But they nod it away and humoured me as if I was still 3 years old, playing house. And when they realise that I tell them something significant, they do nothing but get in my way. And they wonder why I don't tell them things.
Parents almost always change their minds. One minute they're lamenting about how you choose career over education, the next they accuse you of draining their wallet by pursuing a higher degree-despite the generous scholarship you manage to pocket. They judge without question, unwilling to understand our point of view. They're quick to point out our flaws but hesitant to name our strengths. They passive aggressively criticise our behaviour/personality, but somehow unable to see their own faults and wrongdoings. God forbid we criticise them!
They demand respect from us, but refuse to reciprocate.
They quickly see our shortcomings, but unable to acknowledge the same in themselves.
Parents push and pull at use, like a tug of war. Telling us we could be anything, but quickly reject our dreams. Telling us we should have a principle, but will not listen to what we stand for. Telling us the world is tremendous place, but confine us to our beds.
So here I ask you: how are we supposed to respect our elders when they won't respect us?