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Change of generation is a thing that used to stump me. It's a valid problem, from older people having weird political choices to scientific research counting on
by radu_floricica 5y ago
Change of generation is a thing that used to stump me. It's a valid problem, from older people having weird political choices to scientific research counting on fresh blood (yes it does).
Until relatively recently when I switched to believing that there's actually a biological cause for this: sub-clinical forms of dementia. We just get old and lose capacity for meaningful change. We keep functioning, but the decisions we make are based on what we already learned about the world 20-40 years ago.
Which means it's fixable. I don't want a world where I replace my father and am replaced by my children. I want a world where my father starts acting like a valedictorian again, but with a life of experience behind it.
- kiba 5y agoWhich means it's fixable. I don't want a world where I replace my father and am replaced by my children. I want a world where my father starts acting like a valedictorian again, but with a life of experience behind it. As we move through life, we inherit bias and experience and no longer have fresh perspective. It's possible to get wiser with age, but it's also likely we will gain experience that hold us back, such as hatred and trauma. Here's the thing: the newer generations are also going through this process too! They are not necessarily better. They might have less trauma, but they also have less hard won experience.
- radu_floricica 5y agoNo, no, I'm not talking about psychological baggage, but a very concrete biological mechanism. Take a look at this for a good description: https://scholars-stage.org/public-intellectuals-have-short-shelf-lives-but-why/ https://scholars-stage.org/public-intellectuals-have-short-s...
- thfuran 5y agoDo you think psychological bagged is not real and not ultimately rooted in some physical mechanism (s)?
- StevePerkins 5y ago