As we age, our thinking naturally becomes more flexible. It has to, because we continually learn new things, and it takes effort to adapt and integrate new knowledge into our existing frameworks. But sometimes, the foundational concepts we learned in our youth remain constant. As we grow older, the world may change around us, but our models can remain remarkably accurate. It’s possible that as we age, we become increasingly successful because we are increasingly right.
We need to maintain our established ways of thinking; we need to hold on to our wisdom and experience.
I believe there is an important reason that every organism ages and gains experience. It gives us an opportunity to refine our understanding and for society to benefit from the wisdom of the older generation. It’s an opportunity for us to offer guidance and stability to a changing world. The aging of the older generation provides continuity, it ensures that homes are filled with memories, and positions of power are occupied by those with a wealth of experience.
I believe it is important for everyone as we get older to appreciate this and to teach the new generation at a fundamental level. The older generation represents the past, and if we teach the younger generation, we can give them a foundation to build on, but we can also work with them to preserve the best of what has already been achieved.
You can read about the importance of the younger generation here.
