Before leaving behind The Day the World Ended at Little Bighorn: A Lakota History, I wanted to talk a bit about the importance the Lakota people placed on the wisdom of elders. While the tribe itself had no strict hierarchical structure in terms of governance -- each individual was free to follow or not follow another person's advice -- the community typically looked to the older members for counsel. As with the Taoist sages, they realized that struggling through life to an old age tends to bring about wisdom.
Compare this to our modern society that places a premium on youth. Ads, movies and pop culture tell us that, once we reach a certain age, we're over the hill. Try to land a good job once we pass age 45 and we may run smack dab into age discrimination. Everywhere we look, old age is portrayed as a negative -- one step closer to death.
While there is no question that the more youthful among us tend to have more enthusiasm and energy, they too often lack the needed experience to achieve wisdom. If, like me, you are age 50 or above, think back to when you were a young adult. Do you think you were as wise then as you are today? My guess is that 99 out of 100 would say no and for good reason.
Sagacity doesn't simply fall out of the sky. It is borne from a life of trial and error. When society casts off the experiences and insights of their senior members, it will be bound to make the same mistakes over and over again.
The Lakota, like the ancient Taoists, understood this point well and this underscores why they paid such homage and bestowed so much respect upon those who had survived many winters. Modern civilization would be far better off if we copied the Lakota way.
Compare this to our modern society that places a premium on youth. Ads, movies and pop culture tell us that, once we reach a certain age, we're over the hill. Try to land a good job once we pass age 45 and we may run smack dab into age discrimination. Everywhere we look, old age is portrayed as a negative -- one step closer to death.
While there is no question that the more youthful among us tend to have more enthusiasm and energy, they too often lack the needed experience to achieve wisdom. If, like me, you are age 50 or above, think back to when you were a young adult. Do you think you were as wise then as you are today? My guess is that 99 out of 100 would say no and for good reason.
Sagacity doesn't simply fall out of the sky. It is borne from a life of trial and error. When society casts off the experiences and insights of their senior members, it will be bound to make the same mistakes over and over again.
The Lakota, like the ancient Taoists, understood this point well and this underscores why they paid such homage and bestowed so much respect upon those who had survived many winters. Modern civilization would be far better off if we copied the Lakota way.
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