On Age and Wisdom

I’m always being told what to do by people who have more ‘authority’ than I do. And a claim to this authority, they say, comes by virtue of their age which is more than mine. I’m told not to argue. Argument takes a negative meaning for them. And I asked myself why? Because the notion of a society is severely challenged when people begin to question, when debating is encouraged, when conformity is disturbed. And so alarm bells are raised when individuals or groups stick out of the pack and quickly the defense mechanism of the society rolls into action and squashes the anomaly like a ‘Whack-a-mole’ player. So instead they give the power of questioning to a few who have been around the block more than others, instead of opening up a possibility of anarchy. And yet there comes up a time in the cycle of every society where this hierarchy is broken through relentless pressure from young rebels and a new wave of change takes place which is beyond the comprehension of the old order. This happened with the Renaissance, with the Personal Computer Revolution and even Rock & Roll. I think Bob Dylan’s words sum up this thought quite well.

And don’t criticize

What you can’t understand

Your sons and your daughters

Are beyond your command

Your old road is

Rapidly agin’

Please get out of the new one

If you can’t lend your hand

For the times they are a-changin’