Why Adults Are Less Understanding Of The Young?

“Crabbed age and youth cannot live together. While youth is full of pleasure, age is full of care.” said William Shakespeare. This diametrically opposite way of life is the sole cause of lack of understanding and conflicts between adults and the youth. It arises primarily because of clash of opinion, difference in attitude and behaviour of the adults, and the youth.

With the passage of time and advancement in technology new ideas, beliefs and values emerge. It can be attributed to the biological evolution that takes place with the passage of time causing difference in the general outlook towards life. This manifests itself in the divergence of opinion, belief and social values between adults and the youth.

Adults, who have not kept abreast with the time, behave like a frog in a well. They are convinced, that the ideas and beliefs they had in their lives, are the ultimate and the ideal. They ignore factors that are no longer valid in the present age of modernity. It is thus common, to find a father wanting his offspring to adopt his profession, without taking into account his aptitude and inclination. They fail to realize that in today’s age of technological advancement and cut throat competition, what was good then, may not be relevant today. Moreover, with new and better avenues opening up, their wards could do better in a profession, which is in line with their attitude and liking. There are numerous examples of rags to riches stories in the information technology and the tinsel world, that bear testimony to the above.

Adults are also critical of the young with respect to their lifestyle, food habits, dress, moral ethics and values. They fail to appreciate that most of these changes are necessitated on account of the changing environment. A very common example being that while adults consider living on credit bad the youth consider it to be essential for a better lifestyle. These and many others are the self-righteous attitudes that alienate them from the youth.

Youth, on the other hand, having just stepped out of adolescence, are a bewildered lot. On one hand, their family values and culture does not permit them to ignore the advice of adults, while on the other hand they are under peer pressure. They feel that adults try to over control and overprotect them. This creates misunderstanding and tussle in families that often lead to tragic circumstances.

It is, therefore advisable that adults keep the channel of communication open with the youth. They should keep abreast with the latest development in science and technology, and play the role of a facilitator, not a master. They should realize that change is the way of life, without which there can be no progress. The youth, on the other hand need to show more understanding by heeding the advise of elders.They should take their own decisions with discretion and a balanced perspective. This would be better for both and also for the society.

What do you think? Is it true that adults can never be informed about the outlook of the youth towards them and the life. Can we change others’ mindset about our ventures? Have you experienced any far-reaching concern as a consequence of lack of confidence and overbearing attitude of your listener, especially between an arrogant teen and a superior adult. What can be a possible solution (or resolution) to this determined senseless way of dominating over your son or over your father, the outcome of which is disruption no matter when. One such way of answering this is to keep going as ever, bearing with the adults and trying to be smart wherever possible, for you can never win over adults even if they are defective in their statements and sound completely pointless and trivial from their heart.