And The Generation Gap Widens… Gadgets In, Empathy Lost

“When in Rome, do as the Romans do”

This is a famous quote that suits the present situation. The competing older generation with the fortunate and sophisticated younger generation. We are now living in a competitive world. We are forced to face problems right from the day our life starts inside the follicle. Problems have become a part of our lives.

It is not a joke if I tell even a crawling baby has its own problems. Instead of crying over problems, it is always good to face them and come out with solutions. For a person like me who does not belong to the 20+ or 30+ category and belongs to the 50+ category, life looks like a balloon filled with stress. Even we all know the balloon can burst with a single prick and bring down the stress level down, we don’t attempt to do so. The first attempt to do that resembles a giant leap on the moon by Neil Armstrong. Directions to go ahead with our plans or finding a solution to our problems is not that so hard; professional consultants or professional counsellors are available. Yet we make the clock tick so long to decide to go and meet them.

The present younger generation which has to struggle hard right from the beginning, face hurdles and achieve their targets, are tough-skinned than the old. They know how to brush aside the problems and achieve what they want to do with a wink. Though we can boast of having a few decades of experience and faced life’s problems, yet, we lack something according to the present younger generation. They frown upon us and murmur “What the hell you are all up to? You all don’t have an attitude as we have and you need to learn a lot if you want to succeed in life.”

I am not talking about the fortunate ones who had the chance to climb up the ladder and enjoy the credit of being a leader or a mentor. I am not talking about the fortunate ones who got the chance to enjoy the fruits of life and settle down for a peaceful life in their old age. I am talking about the unfortunate ones who never had a chance to prove themselves and swing between two ends of life. They believe that they possess the potential to achieve things and wait for a chance to prove themselves. They live on the verge of disturbing ambitions and shattered goals. Their nights are filled with awesome dreams that make them feel breathless and weak. They find it hard to come out of their shell and compete on par with the so-called younger generation.

The younger generation howls at them and laughs at their inability to achieve targets or to work focused on goals. I don’t deny that there is something we need to learn from the younger generation. Here I refer to the younger generation who boast of their responsibilities as managers and team leaders. I accept they are skilled and know what to do. Yet they lack one thing. They fail to look at things by having their feet in others’ shoes. The empathy quotient!

The natural disasters that wreck the world are because of this growing selfishness. We have more people who are self-oriented and who never shrinks to kick the other fellow to get their things done. They fail to remember one thing when their blood thickens, they have to dance to the tune.

Nowadays we hear about families that do not care to build a home but spend their time in dumping their house with sophisticated gadgets that can make their life comfortable. We have soft, smooth, silken pillows devoid of sleep. We have a sophisticated kitchen to cook which fails to fill the stomach with food cooked with love. Everyone wants to win the race. Run, run and run. Go ahead and reach your target. Don’t look around. Don’t watch who is doing what. Focus on your goals. Reach your target. Once you reach your target, what are you going to do? Once again run the race to achieve your target.

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Charles Darwin’s theory “Survival of the fittest” aptly suits to-day’s scenario. Whoever escapes the wrath of the nearest person wins the race and emerges as a successful person. Even if you keep your eyes wide open, some hands can stab you from behind. Beware!! Learn to sleep with your eyes wide open. Things can happen even if you are alert. Don’t boast you are a hard worker for it may get a comment that you work blindly like an ox that goes continuously around a water mill. They may laugh at you telling that your eyes are blind to so many other things and it is your fault that you have not looked at them; it is you who failed to grab the opportunity and prove your worth.

First published here.