As a 16 year old i like to think that i am smart enough to have a debate. there are many adults who are a lot dumber than me so dont patronise young people just beacause of one young person
Who's patronising? I'm asking a question. To clarify: Do you believe at 16 you have more life experience, more wisdom, more understanding of the human condition that someone who is 80yrs old, has lived through wars, possibly fought in them, survived rationing, poverty, wealth whatever, raising a family, running their own business. You know and understand and can comment productively at 16yrs old all of these things? Is age irrelevant? Note, you mentioned debate in your reply? I mentioned nothing about debate in my thread post, this is general question not related to who can contribute to sci forums debates.
You obviously have more life experience i just found this bit patronising ' And I could not help but marvel at the immense stupidity, naivity of such a comment and while understanding this is common belief amongst teenagers and kids who have yet to know what great world exists beyond their parents four walls, school leavers I would expect to know better'.
I may be 16yrs old for all you know? I never said I was 80! This comment that I marvelled at came from someone in early 20's, hecne my marvel! I made the comment 'I expect it from younger generation', (I was this generation once!) and it is a common theme to feel like you 'know it all', we ALL do, only when things happen, we realise we don't! It's an ongoing learning process. It's a good thing that young people (sorry to patronise but I was young once so just relating!) feel this way as it gives them a sense of 'bravado' and 'nothing can defeat me' that is required to meet the challenges of the modern world. Its a kick ass reality when you get out there and start living it! So do you agree age is irrelevant or not?
from what you said i see that i simply mis-read what you were trying ti put across, for which i apologise. i do think that age can be relevant in some cases but certainly not all.
I think that in cases where intelligence is needed then there is irrelevance to that persons age, however in cases like stated above where wisdom is needed then age may have relevance
I think there must be the difference between knowledge, and life knowledge. Younger people, such as myself cannot possible have the same experience and knowledge of life as those who are, say, 80. That, however does not mean that we are all ignorant fools, there are a fair few of us who can hold our own in an intellectual debate. I find that those who claim all young are foolish and barely worth their time also seem to think respect comes with age. Respect is earnt, irrespective of age.
JAX 0509 - agreed, I expect that person identified as being 'stupid and naive' will still be stupid at 80, but hopefully not so naive.
'Respect is earned not given', lets think about that instead of just parrotting what soemone else has said, and I don't mean Lil, this is a VERY old expression, nothing new there. How does one earn respect? To 'earn' respect implies that one is 'working' to achieve it. So do children not deserve respect? Do the young , elderly, diseased, infirm who cannot work in literal or other sense deserve respect? My view: every living person on this planet deserves to be treated with respect, if however that respect turns out to be misplaced, then you may withdraw it, but one should always set out treating those how you wish to be treated, which is with respect. I have noticed here that those who think respect is earned, presume to have earned it? They insult and rant and whine then withdraw their respect for others as if its a prized jewell, which it is not for they themselves are not held in the high esteem they hold themselves.
That's what I was trying to say Avatar. Age does bring with it knowledge of life, but intelligence isn't at all age based. I mean, look at the children who are in university aged 10!
I'd agree with avatar, some older people are pretty dumb, others are quite wise, some younger people actually go out and live life whereas other older people dont do that, everyone has their own life experiences with different things that become relevant at the right time, and everyone has their own area of expertise, this is all regardless of age, quality over quantity.
I think that wisdom does not need to rely on age, as you can meet wise people at a variety of ages, and people who are not wise at a variety of ages. Alas, there tend to be more of those who are not wise in my experience Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Agreed in part only A person of 80 can relate with a child (having been one) can relate to what it is to be a teenager (having been one) can relate to what it is to be all the ages that took them to 80 basically! Whereas a child can only relate to being a child and can only presume to guess at what it feels like to be another age older than them, they cannot know until they reach that age. I can identify with all the ages that I have been but not those that yet await me. Anyone who presumes to relate to more life than they have lived is consumed in ego.
As a child I was taught to respect the elderly, I didn't of course (other than following obligatory behavioural rules of conduct) however, life has since taught me that age is to be respected as with age does come (unless you are incredibly stupid) a greater tolerance, greater empathy and greater understanding of the world about you and the peoples in it. When a teenager tells me of their angst and great desire for revolution and how they want to change the world (and belive they can), I can relate to those feelings, and I can know what they cannot know which is that it will pass as something else replaces it (and their hormones become more balanced and brain chemistry alters! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! ) This is where age is NOT irrelavant. A lot of problems in western culture today ie. families putting their elderly in care homes instead of looking after themselves, stem from this general lack of respect for the elderly. It is largely a western culture phenomenon, as other cultures still retain respect for the elderly, indeed they seek advice from their 'elders' and do not dismiss them as dodderring old fools. Be aware that you will be old one day and will have a teenager wiping your ass, telling you how they know it all and don't respect you because YOU haven't earnerd it from them! So you survived and fought in a war, raised a family, ran a business, employed hundreds, reinvented the wheel, irrelevant. Enjoy your retirement Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Age is irrelevant when it comes to wisdom. It is the life experience, environment, common sense, and intelligence of the person. You could be a fifty year old idle rich with a great education and a sheltered life and be much less wise than an 8 year old in Iraq at the moment.
Meanwhile If I need financial or relationship advice, I will NOT be seeking it from a kid with no life expereince! Would you?