Don't Compare The Yoof

We know that looking at the "youth of the day" and finding them the most feckless, ignorant, lazy, bunch of no-goods the world have ever existed is a most lazy, ignorant, and reckless thought one can have.

It seems an insidious thought that surfaces every time some reach an age they feel comfortable looking down upon the young.

[side note: be aware of any "youth of today!" quote attributed to Socrates, it seems they can't be verified]

“The beardless youth… does not foresee what is useful, squandering his money.” – The Art of Poetry: an Epistle to the Pisos, Horace, 1st Century BC

Our sires' age was worse than our grandsires'.

We, their sons, are more worthless than they;

so in our turn we shall give the world a progeny yet more corrupt. – Book III of Odes, Horace, circa 20 BC

“Whither are the manly vigour and athletic appearance of our forefathers flown? Can these be their legitimate heirs? Surely, no; a race of effeminate, self-admiring, emaciated fribbles can never have descended in a direct line from the heroes of Poitiers and Agincourt...” – letter in Town and Country, 1771

...a fearful multitude of untutored savages... [boys] with dogs at their heels and other evidence of dissolute habits...[girls who] drive coal-carts, ride astride upon horses, drink, swear, fight, smoke, whistle, and care for nobody...the morals of children are tenfold worse than formerly. – Anthony Ashley Cooper, the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury, Speech to the House of Commons, February 28, 1843

“We defy anyone who goes about with his eyes open to deny that there is, as never before, an attitude on the part of young folk which is best described as grossly thoughtless, rude, and utterly selfish.” – The Conduct of Young People, Hull Daily Mail, 1925

You can find many more if you feel the need. It's a thing eh, many of each generation look back at the one on their heels and sees the end of civilisation.

It is not true.

Those younger than you are no better or worse than you and your friends at their age. You did, thought, acted, in all the same ways, and it really got under the skin of many of your elders.

Before you next make any claim about hose younger than yourself, stop, think, "What did I get up to back then?" and, even if you were a paragon of honour, give them the benefit of the doubt.

Also, 900,000 Kiwis aren't all the same and neither are 10 million Brits, or 4.5 million Aussies. To use broad brushes against any wide ranging group of people is always dumb and the way of the ignorant. You're better than that.

The kids are grand, they are living in a difficult world, one we have all fucked up in our special ways, so support them, they need it now. Yes, they are being young in the world today and not our olden days which, btw, weren't as good as you think they were, and the music was better back then either.

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