Can the young be wise?

[michel]

I gave this thread a title to try and 'draw' some remarks. From my perspective, and from personal experience, life seems to follow the following 'trend' for most people.
1) at home with Mum (hopefully) - learning about dangers of putting your hand on a stove....etc
2) School, where we learn social skills as well as imbibing knowledge
3) The teens, ah! hormones by the bucketfull, trying to 'fit in' with peers and looking for aprobation.
4) late in teens, rebellion. You know better than your parents; they're just old fogeys; if Mum says put on a vest or you'll catch a cold, you stamp out of the room determined not to wear a vest.
5) Twenties; making inroads in trying to find a career; pressure to find a 'mate' - well, society makes it plain that not to have a mate is a bit 'odd'
6) This is when we are learning about everything. We know best; we have formulated opinions on most things, and are keen to tell everyone that they are wrong if they don't believe them.
............... Later, (around the 40-50 age mark, we begin to have time to think; besides which, we've seen quite a lot of life. Now, we're not so sure.......... Opinions held so strongly when in our twenties begin to 'wilt'
From then on, it's pretty much 'downhill' (in the 'I Know way') the older we become, the less we believe that we are so certain; now we can see both sides of arguments, debates, etc...

I believe that wisdom is a mixture of intelligence and knowledge, mixed with experience. I do believe that experience has no equal; second hand wisdom is never as good.

The reason I've outlined the above is that I am aware that many members of RF are young, and yet I see wisdom, which seems to contradict what I've said above. Any comments, thoughts ?

 

[No*s]

Yes, in their own way (which would still include me at 26), and it will get seasoned and more potent as time goes on .

 

[Master Vigil]

I think younger generations are able to learn more because of technology such as the internet. They are able to find out whats going on in the world fast and easily. But I also think that normal every day people don't join these boards, people who don't bother to read or learn are out partying or something. We get a special brood of people here at RF. We get the best!!!

 

[Halcyon]

I know plenty of ignorant old people.

 

[robtex]

I see wisdom as the ablity to formulate patterns from experience and or deductions that benefit one directly in life by being congruent with their goals wishes and desires and protecting or shielding them from short and long term harm.

in this way some people have stronger deduction skills than others and can bridge the gap created by experience (ie longer life) and others cannot...

if the skillsets of their deductions are strong enough to compensate for the experience relative to those older I think there is strong potential for youngsters to have wisdom.

 

[Scuba Pete]

Wise? Probably not. Astute? Electrifyingly so. Ability to ask innocent piercing your soul type questions??? They go straight to the heart of prejudice and bigotry and do it with a smile. I love kids!

 

[cardero]

Everyone has different experiences, different childhood environments. Some children have what is known as a forced perspective in which they are thrust into situations that we may consider unsuitable for children.

It you are someone who believes in reincarnation you can see the past experiences that children recognize in their existence that adds to the accumulated wisdom in their present lives.

Two examples of youthful wisdom (there are more) that I have discovered was mrscarrdero when I first met her (she had a unique upbringing and she wasn’t like most 22 year olds) and Druidus seems very wise beyond his age. I also must point out to our youth, recognizing wisdom and applying wisdom are two different things.

 

[Lookingformeaning]

I think that the young can get wise, if they learn from the older peers. Like I am doing right now.

 

[kreeden]

Learning has little to do with wisdom . Wisdom has everything to do with appling that learning .. Although many tend to get wiser as they age , there is the saying " out of the mouths of babes ... " .

 

[Druidus]

Let's not forget intuitive wisdom. Some people are able to exhibit wisdom without having learned much at all. This wisdom is often the most poignant type.

 

[michel]

I think Master Vigil hit on a very salient point; the amount of information that is available now - via the internet - is incredible; The hours that I spent in the reference library when revising for exams when at school !!!