Brilliant article, and very insightful. Intergenerational moral panic and hand-wringing has been with us for about as long as we've been human. Ancient Greeks and Romans and even Chinese are on record stating how the youth are corrupted or inferior to their predecessors. Some things never change!
And yet... and yet... this time really is different. Some generations are upstream and some move downstream. Looking around at the cultural, economic, political landscape in the modernised West (and we ALL live in the modernised West now, even if you live in a yurt in Mongolia), it is difficult to deny that this generation is much impoverished – morally, intellectually, financially, physically, spiritually.
Generations of selfish people sold these kids down the river. They kicked the can down the road expecting some future generation to pick up the tab. Well now the reaper has come to collect and he is not in a bargaining mood.
Thank you, good sir. I've been meaning to reach out and tell you how much I enjoyed your Parts and Wholes post from this past weekend. I shared your point #8 with quite a few teachers and loved your point #32. I'm a long time meditator who believes in the profound lessons and self-understanding that can come from the practice, but, like you, I've begun to shorten that practice and implement more prayer. I also thought it was interesting that you were considering Eastern Orthodoxy. My father is Orthodox and I spent many years in the church. Plenty we could talk about, but I have a lot of respect for your perspective.
Thank you for the gracious reply, Shane. I hope you and your loved ones are doing well. #8 is something that really crystallised and stuck with me within the last few months. I am honoured that you would share it with fellow teachers. We should catch up some time and share ideas. I know very little about our brothers and sisters in the Orthodox church. Perhaps this is the year I change that.
VERY well said, my friend!
Thank you, sir! Good to hear from you and I appreciate your reading.
Brilliant article, and very insightful. Intergenerational moral panic and hand-wringing has been with us for about as long as we've been human. Ancient Greeks and Romans and even Chinese are on record stating how the youth are corrupted or inferior to their predecessors. Some things never change!
And yet... and yet... this time really is different. Some generations are upstream and some move downstream. Looking around at the cultural, economic, political landscape in the modernised West (and we ALL live in the modernised West now, even if you live in a yurt in Mongolia), it is difficult to deny that this generation is much impoverished – morally, intellectually, financially, physically, spiritually.
Generations of selfish people sold these kids down the river. They kicked the can down the road expecting some future generation to pick up the tab. Well now the reaper has come to collect and he is not in a bargaining mood.
Thank you, good sir. I've been meaning to reach out and tell you how much I enjoyed your Parts and Wholes post from this past weekend. I shared your point #8 with quite a few teachers and loved your point #32. I'm a long time meditator who believes in the profound lessons and self-understanding that can come from the practice, but, like you, I've begun to shorten that practice and implement more prayer. I also thought it was interesting that you were considering Eastern Orthodoxy. My father is Orthodox and I spent many years in the church. Plenty we could talk about, but I have a lot of respect for your perspective.
Thank you for the gracious reply, Shane. I hope you and your loved ones are doing well. #8 is something that really crystallised and stuck with me within the last few months. I am honoured that you would share it with fellow teachers. We should catch up some time and share ideas. I know very little about our brothers and sisters in the Orthodox church. Perhaps this is the year I change that.
Cheers!
I would love to connect and talk more about this. My email is shane@inspiredhumandevelopment.com.
Amen, amen, and amen. Thank you for breaking things down so convincingly and compassionately.
Thank you, Robert! I'm glad you enjoyed it and I appreciate you taking the time to comment!