Are The Old Ways Gone?
Are modern day values replacing old fashioned values to the point that everything about a person changes, future generations forget where they came from and what values they should maintain. As we all know with each generation a little bit changes about values, ideas, and traditions. It is only natural in the progression of time to take advantage of technology, reap the rewards of past and present knowledge to stay connected in this modern age.
But does that mean we should forget about the past, the traditions that most of us grew up with, the values deeply rooted in our society and culture. For example, take any decade within our history and you can see that the way people dress changes, the way people communicate, the music that is listened to and even lifestyles change which from all aspects is natural.
What shouldn't change is the way people treat each other with a sense of polite courtesy, respect for elders, kindness, and honesty. I know as I look around this modern society and see the values that are being taught these old ways of thinking, of treating your fellow man, and the way one portrays themselves to others is dying.
Understanding that in this modern day people are often more worried about themselves than their fellow man, which one could say the that old fashioned values have been lost. I'm not saying all modern values are bad but it seems to me that there is a lot of selfishness and cruelty going on in the world.
I'm not going to stand on a soap box and say all old fashioned ways of doing things, held believes, and traditions are the right way to go since each person uses them in their own way and not all are good. But they are not all bad, not worth losing entirely for the sake of progression and moving forward. Young people today don't understand old fashioned values and it is hard for older people to understand modern values so as a species where does that leave us. It's difficult to forget what made us but it is more difficult still to accept what the values of the human race are turning into.
In a perfect world all values, modern and old would be accepted and appreciated for what they are but the harsh reality is that they both won't survive. One will eat the other in the attempt to be right and rule as nature intends. It's not pretty by anyone's standards, there is a gap between young and old that is only widening with each passing day. It would be logical and very rational to find a way to slow if not close the gap altogether.
Old traditional values, some of which I have already mentioned have been handed down through countless generations. One reason is that they extend into every part of life, are built into the character of each individual person that they are taught to and hold deep meaning for everyone that holds them close.
Lives are structured, built from toddler to adulthood by these values, society as a whole judges individuals based on the values they show and believe in. A polite, honest person who can look someone in the eye while holding a conversation is given more respect than someone who can't do these things. Often the difference in values is overlooked by individuals but society, the world we live in judges everything for what it is, what is seen, what is shown, how a person conducts themselves both in public and private. The ever watchful eye never misses when something is out of place or doesn't fit.
The strength of individuals resides in their values, beliefs, and morals whatever they may be. They are looked upon and scrutinized for all that they are and may yet become, the future wages destinies on what is learn, taught and valued. Some believe that the old ways are better, some still believe that the modern ways are what will last longer, there is no correct answer here.
There used to be a time when children were disciplined through corporal punishment, an old traditional value of course, but it's effectiveness is still talked about today. These days children are talked to, grounded, or reasoned with, "to what end?" I ask. Do they remember what they did wrong, the mistake they made, or the likelihood of repeating it. Again, another question that has yet to be given a definite answer.
Modern values may have given some knowledge on doing things better but it has takes more than it gives. Parents who have grown up and live by traditional values are stifled by the precedence of modern values, what they can and can't do to teach and reprimand their children. Meanwhile, children are often disrespectful, rude, and spoiled because the belief of the old ways loses more and more ground.
As these children reach adulthood it only gets worse, believing they are entitled and privileged to things that have not yet earned much less having the knowledge or common sense to know how to earn what they believe should be given to them. Is this the world we should really have?, where it is no longer reasonable to work or earn what you want, where everything is given because you believe your entitled to it. I don't believe so, this world is harsh, there is not a place where everyone wins or gets everything they desire without first having to work hard for it and in most cases requires a fair amount of sacrifice.
The problem isn't technology, whoever says that is laying the blame where it doesn't belong. Technology has made things easier, more convenient and more accessible which for the most part the majority of people are thankful and appreciative to see the world get to this advanced age. Instead people use technology as babysitters, a way of pacifying the youth of our time, keeping them naive and gullible. The smarter choice would be to teach them what they need to know, some common sense, and give them a better understanding of what to expect of the world and what the world expects of them. So many times it's been proven that being book smart and having common sense doesn't go hand in hand, the simplest way to fix that is by setting values that apply to both, giving the mind limitless opportunities to learn and advance in knowledge.
Whether it be old traditional values or modern values, why not some of both? Throw in some technology, let all of it swirl around in a hungry, adaptive mind and see what comes out. People will be surprised by the results, a hard working, intuitive mind coupled with common sense, strong values and a thirst to know technology while holding on the what has long been proven to work, sounds good to me. The future looks pretty good like that instead of forcing a choice of what to keep and what gets left in the dust.
Let's not get into the whole "everybody has feelings" thing, people have always had feelings, doesn't mean they should dictate what values are more important than others. Emotions and feelings are a good thing, they tell people what to think, how to feel, how to react to situations and other people but they shouldn't be placed above everything else. Now a days constructive criticism is hard to come by without hurting someone's feelings or causing emotional distress. Too many young people are medicated or overmedicated due to what they feel or the type of emotions going on inside them and it's all thanks to the modern approach to values. People are too afraid to tell their children and other adults what they really think for the fear of causing them to be upset, causing emotional distress, or hurting their feelings in general. When did people become so weak that any amount of conflict or disagreement would be so painful, children getting upset at adults because an adult interrupts them in the middle of a conversation or tries to give them advice that they believe is against what they've seen on the internet or read.
It is one thing to respect a child, to nurture who they are but it is a completely different thing when core values are distorted or left untaught for fear that it will upset them or grieve them in such a way that it could do irreparable emotional trauma. It's not just children but some adults too, not only are they vulnerable to the cruelty of this world but when they finally realize it and see it for themselves then they will be truly crushed under it's weight.
And who do I dare say is responsible for that? Their parents, their teachers, their peers, or other professionals that had a hand in coddling their nature instead of instilling the values necessary to see them reach full thriving adulthood.
But enough about that, let's focus on whether old traditional values has a chance to linger on a few more generations or if modern values will take their place completely. So back to my original question, will the old ways be gone? Will they die out as the generations move further and further onward or should they still be instilled in the bright light of youth among the modern values taught in this rapidly advancing world? Who's to say what will happen but I can only hope that not all of the values that have been passed down will disappear forever.