The Foresight Of the Elders
The wisdom of the elders is only a wisdom if the elders were wiser than you — if they made better choices, less harmful choices, were luckier as a result of their decisions, and if they had sense.
The reason why we have plenty of extremism instead of wisdom in this era is that the sensitivity to detect wisdom has been lost or forcibly taken, that obedience to (assertive, though not wise) authority has been beaten into too many and never challenged, and that there is not enough honesty to assess yourself in relation to those who went before you.
Lack of humility, ignorance, and cruelty often go hand in hand, unfortunately. Blind faith in stories and disinterest in discoveries and in solutions can cloud and mislead even a good mind.
On the other hand, if you know more than the elders, they know it too. Don’t hog all that wisdom for yourself. Don’t let it die within you. Share what you practice. Share what you have understood. Because well-meaning elders wanted you to reach a higher place and have a wider horizon than they acquired.
27 January 2019
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