Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
You've probably heard the expression, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks." While I will say that I don't completely agree with such a sentiment, it really does seem much easier to teach and to mold the minds and thought processes of the young. As we get older, not only have we learned more about how the world really does work, we also become more comfortable. Learning new things requires effort, and sometimes we have to admit that we simply do not want to put forth that effort.
As we think about bringing change to the culture or society that we find ourselves part of, one question that I believe we should ask is, who are the young people that can be taught according to the pattern that we are looking to create? It makes sense to think about this approach for a number of reasons. First, they are less likely to have fully "bought into" the current culture, especially if it's one that is new to them. They'll be a bit more willing to do things that haven't become "the way we do things around here." They simply haven't been part of the culture for long enough to learn those things.
A second reason that younger people are good instruments of introducing change is that they will have a longer span of time to bring about and solidify the change. Let's take a business office that is looking to change their culture. If you approach the man who has three years until retirement, how likely is it that he will be around to see the results of the change of culture? Contrast that with the young lady who has only been on the job three years. While we may live in a day and age where careers and jobs change rapidly, the possibility of her remaining there to see the change through is much more likely. Not only that, she might be more open to the first point in the paragraph above, willing to try something different or new that the soon to be retired guy just may not want to do.
A third reason to look to the young as instruments of change is that they may also have great ideas. Sure, some of the ideas may have been brought up before, but they may just have a different approach that could make the idea work, or the time may have arrived where that idea is now viable. If you stifle their creativeness, it's likely that they will either go somewhere else that will appreciate their creativeness, or they'll think it's just not worth it and won't stick their neck out again, even if it's a good idea whose time has arrived.
I'll continue a bit more on the thought of the influence of the young on change to culture and society tomorrow, from a bit of a different approach.
You've probably heard the expression, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks." While I will say that I don't completely agree with such a sentiment, it really does seem much easier to teach and to mold the minds and thought processes of the young. As we get older, not only have we learned more about how the world really does work, we also become more comfortable. Learning new things requires effort, and sometimes we have to admit that we simply do not want to put forth that effort.
As we think about bringing change to the culture or society that we find ourselves part of, one question that I believe we should ask is, who are the young people that can be taught according to the pattern that we are looking to create? It makes sense to think about this approach for a number of reasons. First, they are less likely to have fully "bought into" the current culture, especially if it's one that is new to them. They'll be a bit more willing to do things that haven't become "the way we do things around here." They simply haven't been part of the culture for long enough to learn those things.
A second reason that younger people are good instruments of introducing change is that they will have a longer span of time to bring about and solidify the change. Let's take a business office that is looking to change their culture. If you approach the man who has three years until retirement, how likely is it that he will be around to see the results of the change of culture? Contrast that with the young lady who has only been on the job three years. While we may live in a day and age where careers and jobs change rapidly, the possibility of her remaining there to see the change through is much more likely. Not only that, she might be more open to the first point in the paragraph above, willing to try something different or new that the soon to be retired guy just may not want to do.
A third reason to look to the young as instruments of change is that they may also have great ideas. Sure, some of the ideas may have been brought up before, but they may just have a different approach that could make the idea work, or the time may have arrived where that idea is now viable. If you stifle their creativeness, it's likely that they will either go somewhere else that will appreciate their creativeness, or they'll think it's just not worth it and won't stick their neck out again, even if it's a good idea whose time has arrived.
I'll continue a bit more on the thought of the influence of the young on change to culture and society tomorrow, from a bit of a different approach.
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