Introduction
The quotation “If youth knew, if age could”, implies a deeper message that highlights the relation between the young and the old from one generation to the other. It depicts that young and the older people should cooperate to apply their knowledge and power for the better accomplishment. The young and the older people are in an inverse relationship in most cases. Concepts in maximum cases result in their disagreement. This disagreement is generally termed as ‘generation gap’. We have encountered generation gap but have hardly tried to analyse this gap make a common resolution.
Generation Gap
Currently, this concept calls for urgent analysis and understanding in par lance of ‘Young Generation’ and ‘Older Generation’. In course of our discussion, we fumble upon the very quotation that makes us young or old. But the fact is that the young should try to consider the knowledge and message delivered by their elders, whereas the old people too should try to be patient enough to compete the worldly affairs in contestant manner. At this juncture, we should approach towards the practical situations in the following ways:
Rational Thinking for the Young while
Retaining Strength for the Old
The young are warm-blooded, so they often sparkle in moments. They should start thinking logically and rationally being patient enough to listen and understand the opinions and views of their elders and argue then in relation to those in order to make a complete compilation of our requirement to overcome the barriers that come in course of our life. To the contrary, the elders too should retain their patience, strength and power in their actions on the basis of their knowledge and experience in order to argue logically.
Young and Elder People Cooperate as a Single Unit
The result of cooperation of a dynamic enlightened young and a veteran old in any field of work is always better. In this combination, the older official reciprocates his experience and knowledge while the young enthusiast implicates them seriously and meticulously with a view to delivering the best-in-class output.
Out of these two approaches, the latter appears to be the best and more practical and acceptable in any work pattern.
Age-Old Hindu Mythological Concept
According to the age-old Hindu mythology, the human life consists of childhood, adulthood, married life and the old age i.e. Vanaprastha. This concept explains that a person is successful in his mundane responsibilities by making his children established and subsequently handing the complete charge of the family over to them. Ultimately, the older persons leave for forests to live the rest of their lives by concentrating on the spirituality leaving the sparkling and booming materialistic city behind.
During that period, the elders had no opportunity to lead and guide their successors with their knowledge and experiences. The elders left the family life and the women being refined into the narrowness of the society, while the children were the head of the family as well as handled outdoor responsibilities. Naturally, the young had to live of their own experience. However, the elders had neither right to involve in the worldly affairs nor to discuss their strength and physical potential and experience.
Impact of Generation Gap a Decade Ago
The ancient concept of life is obsolete and has been abolished with the passage of time and has now developed entirely. The Vanaprastha is no longer in vogue. It has now opened a period of interaction between the experienced elders and the young. However, the above quotation was not orientated with the situation and a defined shape in this age. People led their life simply with grandchildren in their old forties by handing over the responsibilities of the family to their children before their age of retirement.
In this age, the elders guided their children regarding their family and other related matters with their knowledge and experiences despite the curtness of their children. However, they would obey the words of their elders. It means that their experiences were implemented. But as the task accomplished by the young was done without any enthusiasm and interest, it didn’t attain the expected input of the young potential in the performed result. This is because of the stubborn nature and disregard to the words of their elders. The elders used to work hard during their lifetime. Then there was not a single point of discussion with regard to their physical stamina to confront the young and have the best performable
Generation Gap Today
In our present age, we live in the age of technology. People are civilised and understand the value of literacy and education very well. Men and women take part in worldly affairs and the age of marriage too has been increased. The average retirement age is sixty plus. At that age, people maintain their physical and mental strength and more inclined to remain hale and hearty and try to utilise their knowledge and experiences for better purposes.
Today, the young generation is more educated and have much patience to retain their temper and understand the requirements and importance. They are now more open minded. They have enough patience to listen to the elders and consider and even comply with the fresh thoughts and views. The young are neither diffident nor reluctant to learn from the experiences of old people and gather knowledge from their success as well as failure. With such an attitude, they have enough potential to brighten the world with their excellence. The young clearly and vividly make out the difference between the requirements of the time as well as execute the accurate measures in order to satisfy their needs.
The latter approach holds water for the present trend of lifestyle.
Conclusion
Needless to say, the extract is appropriate for our present age. We have pretty plenty of scopes open to reform and redress the human society, the world today into a more welcoming age and an age of recreation for the generation to come. The young knew the age could, above all, successfully implement their knowledge and experiences in the most practicable ways.