The older generation

[Confused-by-christianity]

Through my younger decades, I looked to my elders for wisdom and sense.

I didn’t find it. In the end I gave up. I keep my ear open for wisdom and sense but don’t expect it from the older generation. Indeed - in more than a good share of my dealing with them, they come across as entitled, spoiled, spiritually and emotionally immature. Further, they talk about their life as though they had it really hard - then, list examples that are actually describing a lovely easy life. Not perfect, but far far better than I’ve had it.
(Houses, the odd holiday, overtime pay for extra hours and decent pension arrangements to name a few things - I think it was due to rebuilding after the war maybe?? I suspect it was making lots of money without actually creating anything better - just bringing us back to standard).

I just can’t seem to tolerate them any more. It’s the spoilt attitude, the entitlement, the thoughtless emotional outbursts.
(Example. I was changing my son’s messy nappy (diaper), in a special disabled / baby changing toilet. A group of old ladies crowded outside, decided they had waited long enough, then started passive aggressively commenting loudly outside the door, then knocking to hurry me along. It was only a few minutes. It’s things like this that happen all the time that have well and truly turned me off that generation. I guess somewhere along the line I stopped making excuses for them??!! Common sense should have said that I’m changing my sons messy nappy, I’m moving as fast as I can, you might be uncomfortable but you do have to wait your turn or prepare in some other way. Even if you are uncomfortable or in pain, it’s no excuse for acting like spoilt bratty children).

I guess to summarise, tradition tells you where wisdom is, who your heroes are. But don’t listen to tradition mindlessly. Question it.
I’ve started looking elsewhere. I’ve written off the boomer generation and subsequent (up to millennials I guess??) and hope I can provide wisdom, humility and sense to the youngsters.

Does anyone have similar experiences to me?
Does anyone have a better experience with the older generation? With examples??

 

[PloverWing]

I think that people have a variety of personalities and levels of wisdom/knowledge in all generations. If you cultivate attitudes of kindness and grace and compassion in yourself throughout the decades of your life, then you'll probably be a kind and compassionate person when you're 70. If you read lots of books and engage in thoughtful conversations with other people throughout your life, then you'll probably be a well-educated person when you're 70. If you practice a skill -- cooking, woodworking, music, etc. -- for decades, then you'll probably have expertise by the time you're an older adult.

On the other hand, if you don't practice any of this, you probably won't grow. Wisdom and knowledge and compassion don't magically pop into people's lives. What we practice in the years of our youth and middle age shapes what we are when we're old.

It's not all-or-nothing, of course. Being a flawed human being, I can imagine that I might lose some of my wisdom and compassion in the moment if I'm standing too desperately in a long restroom line.