Macbeth
Banned
+2,444|5578

Am I the only person who finds the idea of respecting elders to be total bullshit?

Why does old age automatically mean I have to be nice to a person, show them respect, limit myself for their benefit, etc.

I don't feel that just because a person is older then me and somehow managed to stay alive longer that they deserve some sort of high level of respect that they often do not return.

So should we respect our elders because they are older or should we treat them as we do any other person?

I, for one, believe that respect should be based on merit rather then seniority.
Ty
Mass Media Casualty
+2,398|6767|Noizyland

It depends what kind of seniority and what kind of repect you're taking about.
[Blinking eyes thing]
Steam: http://steamcommunity.com/id/tzyon
you little shit
=NHB=Shadow
hi
+322|6358|California
i respect my elders, maybe that's cause im asian, but whatever, they gave me $700 for being a good boy (:
time to buy weed yo
jsnipy
...
+3,276|6515|...

respect in, respect out
Macbeth
Banned
+2,444|5578

Ty wrote:

It depends what kind of seniority and what kind of repect you're taking about.
Ugh been trying to think up a way to anaswer that without shooting off a question that would force you into the answer I was looking for.

What I mean is just because a person is older then you but you are smarter, stronger, more successful etc. should you still show them respect even though they don't exactly deserve it or does their older age really mean all that much?
Stingray24
Proud member of the vast right-wing conspiracy
+1,060|6438|The Land of Scott Walker
Yes, their age does mean that much.  Giving a little respect to an elder usually means respect in return.  Giving disrespect always means the same in return.  Why make life harder than it has to be?  We will likely lose the respect of some of our peers by dissing someone older to somehow prove how smart/strong/successful we are.
Catbox
forgiveness
+505|6709
respect is earned...
and i do respect older people as a rule... but i have also told more than a few older people to get bent...
Love is the answer
ATG
Banned
+5,233|6522|Global Command
At 20 I thought I was wise and had no need to respect my elders.

At 41 I realize how unimaginably uninformed in general I was back then.
Hurricane2k9
Pendulous Sweaty Balls
+1,538|5694|College Park, MD
Their older age makes them wiser than you. Argue it all you want... the more you argue it the more it's obvious you're not as wise as they are
https://static.bf2s.com/files/user/36793/marylandsig.jpg
Flaming_Maniac
prince of insufficient light
+2,490|6699|67.222.138.85
They know more than you do.

because:

Macbeth wrote:

What I mean is just because a person is older then you but you are smarter...
You aren't smarter if you don't respect them. It's a deeply ingrained social custom that, quite possibly more than any other custom, is extremely useful towards getting what you want from society. Unless your goals involve living with the wolves, you are stupid not to respect your elders.

"It is a profitable thing, if one is wise, to seem foolish." -Aeschylus
Ty
Mass Media Casualty
+2,398|6767|Noizyland

Macbeth wrote:

Ty wrote:

It depends what kind of seniority and what kind of repect you're taking about.
Ugh been trying to think up a way to anaswer that without shooting off a question that would force you into the answer I was looking for.

What I mean is just because a person is older then you but you are smarter, stronger, more successful etc. should you still show them respect even though they don't exactly deserve it or does their older age really mean all that much?
I understand where you're coming from. One of my bosses, (I work in a place that seems to think I need more than one,) is as thick as a brick and a pretentious git to boot. The fact that he's twice my age desn't enter my determination on whether to respect him or not.
If you know someone and you know that they are or are not worthy of respect then age isn't a factor. If you don't know someone then age becomes a little more important. I do believe that seniority should get the benefit of the doubt in cases of ambiguity. Simply put, they're more likely to know what you don't even know that you don't know.
[Blinking eyes thing]
Steam: http://steamcommunity.com/id/tzyon
mtb0minime
minimember
+2,418|6647

I think anyone who doesn't respect their elders is a punk bitch. How would you like it if you were older and you had little shits running around treating you like crap and being little brats?
13urnzz
Banned
+5,830|6490

mtb0minime wrote:

I think anyone who doesn't respect their elders is a punk bitch.
this sentiment is found in all societies. we pass our knowledge to our young.

fuck that, i'm spending my kids inheritance. little fuckers can make it on their own, with attitudes like that.
krazed
Admiral of the Bathtub
+619|6772|Great Brown North
i respect everybody until i'm shown they don't deserve any

my neighbours are  drunk welfare leeches, should i respect them because of their age? no, fuck them
Poseidon
Fudgepack DeQueef
+3,253|6530|Long Island, New York
I'm a fucking rebel when it comes to my parents. I honestly am. I pretty much have been since my parents got divored.

I actually just recently started calling my father by his first name. I didn't really put it to much use though because pretty much right after I said it, I told him to fuck off.

Long story.

However, I do respect my mother (most of the time) just because she's my mother and she's always tried to be there for me. I wouldn't respect her just for being my mother though. If she was an abusive parent or something I'd never respect just for the fact that she's my mother.
Doctor Strangelove
Real Battlefield Veterinarian.
+1,758|6461

Poseidon wrote:

I'm a fucking rebel when it comes to my parents. I honestly am. I pretty much have been since my parents got divored.

I actually just recently started calling my father by his first name. I didn't really put it to much use though because pretty much right after I said it, I told him to fuck off.

Long story.

However, I do respect my mother (most of the time) just because she's my mother and she's always tried to be there for me. I wouldn't respect her just for being my mother though. If she was an abusive parent or something I'd never respect just for the fact that she's my mother.
Weird. I hardly respect my mom at all because she's pretty much stupid and hasn't had a job in 20 years, yet still moans about how bad she has it all the time. I still love her, but it's hard to respect someone like her.

Last edited by Doctor Strangelove (2009-08-19 20:37:37)

462nd NSP653
Devout Moderate, Empty Head.
+57|6677

ATG wrote:

At 20 I thought I was wise and had no need to respect my elders.

At 41 I realize how unimaginably uninformed in general I was back then.
Yup, couldn't have said it better...wonder how I'll feel at 60?
mtb0minime
minimember
+2,418|6647

Has nukchebio read this thread yet? I always see his sig that says "16 long years of observation"
Reciprocity
Member
+721|6573|the dank(super) side of Oregon
Old people are generally stupid, cheap, racist and smelly.  But it's mostly because their brains are rotten.  I give them the benefit of the doubt.
13urnzz
Banned
+5,830|6490

Reciprocity wrote:

Old people are generally stupid, cheap, racist and smelly.  But it's mostly because their brains are rotten.  I give them the benefit of the doubt.
^ this
ATG
Banned
+5,233|6522|Global Command
okay. Now this is getting stupid.
Reciprocity
Member
+721|6573|the dank(super) side of Oregon
I'm not trying to get stupid, I deal with old people every day.  According to them, when I'm not robbing them blind keeping their old heap of shit cars running, I'm stealing the pennies out of their ash tray and changing their radio station presets just to spite them.
Beduin
Compensation of Reactive Power in the grid
+510|5743|شمال
Respect everyone. Elders and young's
الشعب يريد اسقاط النظام
...show me the schematic
BN
smells like wee wee
+159|6760
Respect has to earned not automatically given.

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