Ever notice that the young ones only think the present is important?

Question

It must be hard to relate to things in the past when you have none.

Answer 1

Let's talk about the past. I choose Nixon. Go.

Answer 2

Actually, if your parents do a good job of teaching you right from wrong, ways to identify and solve problems, how to question authority, how to protect yourself, and how to say no, then when the crap hits the fan and the problems show up, they will revert to what they've learned and will thank and appreciate the elders. Didn't you think your parents were stupid when you were young? When, exactly, did you realize they weren't so dumb? While the young ones only think the present is important, they learn very quickly that past actions -- theirs and those of others-- affect their today, tomorrow and forever and they'll pay more attention.

Children who grew up in the Depression Era know what it's like to have to struggle and they understand how important it is to keep your information private and very few of them had more than an eighth grade education. Therefore, their children thought them stupid. However, those people were responsible for our entry into space, automating manufacturing and mining processes, inventing life saving devices and time saving devices, developing cures for diseases, etc. How can you say these young people who think only in the present have no past? Every time they pick up a telephone, they are revisiting the results of the past. Every time they turn on a light they are witnessing the results of past actions and processes.

Answer 3

Those young people you speak of may be idealistic, but I'd rather have that then be mindless , like some here. The past you base your wisdom on may very well be flawed , because your interpretation of history may be flawed . There is truth and perceived truth (or that we are being told is the truth). Kids nowadays are much more open minded and independent, then the old fashioned people.

Answer 4

I think your partially right, it is not so much the fact they don't have a past as they are not taught to respect the past.

Was it Princeton? or Harvard? one of the big universities announced it was reducing its history requirements.

When i was in college history was optional you could take things like "Human studies" in its place.

High school, we covered maybe a years worth of history in a day, wars were reduced to paragraphs and if we were lucky a movie that we could only see half of because class was only an hour.

The younger generations have no appreciation for the past, I asked a young friend of mine (18 years old) if he knew about the battle of Stalingrad, he didn't understand till i mentioned the movie "Enemy at the gates".

I joked with a co-worker who had just come back from vacation "Doctor Livingston I presume.", every one looked at me like i had a tree growing out of my skull. and i am only 5 years older than the next youngest person there.

History is really disappearing in to the past.

Why do you think we see bright questions like the one i answered about Americans bombing civilians, the guy failed to point out that the enemy had been bombing civilians for years before our intervention (battle of Britain). I don't even think it crossed his mind that the Germans had spent seven years plastering British cities with bombs and later rockets.

I know my kids will learn history. I am not going to let them be blind to things like facts, precedent and where we come from.

Answer 5

To a point maybe but many aren't taught much about the past........it's like a story and doesn't hold much weight till you live it.

I agree with Studbolt.....it seems there's too many in government who forget to engage their fried brain cells because too many aren't thinking beyond the end of their nose. It makes me cringe to see where my generation is taking us. Sure isn't anything like I thought it would be.

You couldn't pay me to be young these days. It's beyond anything I know how to deal with. Maybe they are more concerned about the present because tomorrow is looking pretty shaky.

I know I was very optimistic when I was young. I was ready to change the world. Reality kind of blew it for me....

Answer 6

Evere notice that the old ones like to live in the times of Wally and the Beav instead of trying to deal with the real world?

Answer 7

oh so 9/11 wasnt anything, hurricane katrina ,um the WAR going on right now is nothing, lets see columbine, oklahoma bombing, jeeze for the past 20 some years all it has been is tragedy after tragedy maybe you old farts need to accept the fact that **** is tougher for us young punks then it ever was for you in your flower child pot smoking years we have to worry about getting shot in our own homes where as in your day old crone you never had to worry about it next time be careful when you let your sharp tounge loose.

Answer 8

I'm 22, and my future is very important. thing is if we dont learn than we are bound to repeat the past, and from my history lessons in college. i see a pattern

Answer 9

Yes Bush sucks in the present, past and future.

Answer 10

Mean and untrue.

As usual.

Most liberals see the hate and failures in the conservatives past and want better things for America!

Answer 11

Bush Sr considered the prospects of invading Iraq and wisely chose not to. Bush Jr only considered the moment and failed to project the consequences of invading Iraq.

So yes. The point is valid.