ONE of the most prominent features of the subcontinent’s culture is respect for elders. The notion of respect manifests itself in the form of direct obedience. It means that the older you are, the more respect you have, and, hence, you will command more authority in matters of common interests. Such a practice exists because of a perception that with age comes experience, and experience brings wisdom. Is wisdom truly the product of age-cum-experience?

Experience embodies all that happens to us and what life makes us go through. In other words, it is almost always passive. Research at Duke University has demonstrated that passive observation of actions is not sufficient to change actions or perceptions. The reaction to and interpretation of different stimuli of experiences unveil the layers of wisdom before oneself. The result of reacting to and interpreting experiences is what we refer to as knowledge. It is knowledge that brings wisdom. And since knowledge is not age-bound, the idea of respect being age-dependent is fallacious. Respect, on the other hand, is a higher virtue that transcends the boundaries of age.

The second important question is about the relation between respect and obedience. In our culture, we tend to mix the two, especially in the context of relations between the young and the old. Should respect, as is the norm, be equated with obedience? It should not be.

The last few decades have transformed the world at an unprecedented rate and the phenomenon of generation gap, although pre-existent, has been further amplified by technological advances. With evolving technology, cultural ideals also evolve, necessitating an inclusive culture where the young also enjoy a say in decision-making. Depriving them of a voice and imposing obsolete ideas upon them carry the seeds of societal decay.

Conformity, blind obedience and discouraging dissent are the very causes of intellectual stagnation. It is high time we adopted an open-minded approach and admitted that respect and dissent can go together. If anything, actions prompted by independent, critical and informed analysis of facts should be appreciated.

Sardar Saifullah
Rawalpindi

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2024