RESPECT YOUR ELDERS
Treat your elders as you would want your children
to treat you. Lead by example.
The older citizens of ancient Greece and Rome were highly respected for their wisdom. Councils of elders helped rule these societies.In Greek and Greek-American culture, old age is still honored and celebrated. Respect for elders is central to Greek and Italian families.The same is true of many cultures.
The traditional basis for elder respect in Asian cultures is Confucian teachings. In the teachings of Confucius, respect for parents and elders is a central theme and is seen as an essential foundation for a good society.Essentially, it directs offspring to recognize the care and aid received from their parents and, in return, to pay respect to their parents.Material support for one’s parents is not all that is expected; deference to your elders and a genuine reverence for them is also expected.
According to Confucius, the legendary Chinese philosopher, elder respect must also extend beyond the boundary of the family. “At home, a young man should be dutiful toward his parents; going outside, he should be respectful toward other elders and be cautious in deeds and trustworthy in words.” (Analects of Confucius).
We all grow old. Whenever you look at an elderly person, understand this: one day, that will be you.
How do you want to be treated when you’re old?
Mountaineers normally have the most experienced member of the team lead the group and for good reason. They do it because experienced climbers either know the best routes and/or know where to step to avoid hurting or killing themselves. The idea is that the more experienced climber is the expert and younger members of the team—even if they are more physically fit—need to learn from them and respect their knowledge. Not using their knowledge would be foolish.
When you have an amazing knowledge bank,
why wouldn’t you use it?
Simply by virtue of their age, your elders have seen more than you have. They may not know what you know—their experiences and their knowledge may be very different from your own—but that does not mean that you can’t learn from them. On the contrary, you can learn a great deal from them that will be very relevant to your life.
People who have experienced many years of life have a different perspective from someone who is seeing things for the first time. With this experience comes wisdom that can be handed down.
The history of our lives comes from our elders. Who we are derives from our parents and our ancestors. Disrespecting those who came before us is like disrespecting ourselves.
Your elders know you better than anyone and are therefore in a better position to advise you than most. Learn from them. Treasure them.
