"Young vs Old"

      Is it always true, from old people's point of view, that teenagers are reckless  and need constant observation? Are elderly people correct when they put endless blame on those young men? On the other hand, are teenagers always innocent? Are they being misunderstood by those around them? And more importantly; does the "young vs old" conflict exist in every society?

Well, if you're a parent I could hear a deep sigh! If you're a teenager I could see your index finger on the mouse looking for the "close" button! But hold on young man I might be on you side!

The relationship between old and young generations seems to always have been a matter of complaint and dissatisfaction from both sides in all societies. Why is it that? Is it because old people have a wide experience and can see what can't be seen by young people; and therefore they don’t want them to start from the scratch?! Or is it that young people are energetic and prefer to get things done their own ways?!

It wouldn't be a contradiction if we say: both are right! It means that we need for the old people to understand the fact that their experience is highly respected, but at the same time we should give a space and let teenagers try new ways. They might come up with new ideas. History tells us that great ideas have, most of the time, come out from young minds. Posing constrains all the time on teenagers and putting them under pressure will only produce a generation of hypocrites; who do what they don’t believe in, or criminals; who rebel against all the values of the society.  

Parents and educators are advised to read books or take courses on how to deal with this age. This age has certain psychological and mental changes that should be taken into consideration. For example, teenagers love privacy very much; a notion that doesn't have a room in old people's mind-- armed with the Victorian famous saying "children should be seen, not be heard!"-- Young people like to have a margin of independence. They want to experience the manhood themselves, but it's a different manhood from that of the elders! They don’t reject the values and norms but they look at them differently. Is that a right attitude?! Well, it might not be so, and that's a complete different matter of discussion.   

Anyhow, moderation and keeping balance is the bottom line. Elders should give ears to teenagers, and teenagers, in return, should adopt diplomacy when it comes to dealing with the elders. In other words, mutual understanding and willingness of compromise should be a motto for this relationship to be healthy and transparent. Unless they implement these rules, there wouldn't be any development, and deterioration will gradually sneak into that relation and turn it into a hell.

Read To Lead

  

Reading is a human activity that God bestowed humankind with. It's reading that makes us different from other creatures. Had not there been reading, there would have not been reason and explanation, and therefore no distinction between humans and animals.

Through reading we can convey messages, express our feelings, and impart knowledge and experience to other generations. It's reading that we were first ordained as Muslims to conduct: "Read in the name of your Lord.." 1/96. We clearly understand through this divine order how important reading is in our life as Muslims. It's a matter of everlasting learning process that never stops at any stage or for any given circumstances. It's more than a hobby because hobby is only done during leisure time, but reading is done, or say should be done, all the time.

Nevertheless, reading is a job that requires certain skills. Surprised? Yes, it's a job, in the full sense of the term. If you want to get the utmost out of any book you need to deal with reading with this mentality, otherwise the outcome of your reading would be of no weight. Adler in his book "How to read a book" talks elaborately on this point.

Since reading is an activity you may wonder: is it just that easy; e.g. you pick up a book and start reading? Well, you might have noticed in the previous paragraph that reading is a "job" that needs some skills. Thus, reading is three types: literal; reading the abstract words on the lines, inferential; reading between the lines, and evaluative; reading beyond the lines.  

The first type doesn't require that wit to be able to understand what's meant. The meaning is found directly in the text. You can put a finger on the answer as it answers questions "who?", "what?", "when?" and "where?"

The second type, as it could be inferred from its name, is more complicated. Your role here is more than just reading, rather, you interpret what is in the text. You look for what the passage represents or suggests. Therefore, the answer can not be found directly in the text. You have got to do some work between the lines.

The third type is deeper than the last two. You, as a reader, move beyond the text to connect to the universal context; either on the personal level or the global one. Through this reading you answer questions like: why does it matter to me? Does it have something to do with my family or my fellow human beings? Etc.

With that said, we need to push ourselves to read more and more, and to raise our children by this principle. Reading is the food of mind, and you wouldn’t deprive yourself and your loved ones from this food, would you?!