DROPPING OF THE BATON
Gone are the days when parents train their children for nation-building. It is very obvious that the current generation is not prepared to face the challenges of our society. What our predecessors achieved in their reign we are yet to come close to and due to this, the values, prestige, and legacies of our nation depreciate by the second. What is more mind-boggling is the fact that in our time, with the aid of technology and other advanced discoveries, life is easier; we have easier and quicker modes of transportation, communication, and learning. And yet, our generation is slower, less engaged on the societal level, and less educated than our predecessors.
Whenever our elders recount their past experiences, they always lament the current state of our society and reminisce what they left behind. Why is that?
I remember coming across a video where the speaker spoke about how difficult times create strong people and strong societies while easy times create weak people and weak societies. Is this the case with the failing system in our time? One might argue that in places like the UK, it is not the case. We’ve seen many ideas, privately owned businesses, companies, and organizations grow and blossom from the foundations laid by the founders centuries ago. Companies like Twinings which dates back to 1706, started as a tearoom in London, and today, Twinings is a global favourite. So also, Mcvities which began as a small baker’s shop in 1839 in Edinburgh passed on from generation to generation to become a global household name. Why then is our case different? What is the missing link here? Why are we, the younger generation not building on the foundations of our elders? Why is this traditional chain of transmission not functional anymore?
Assalamu alaikum. I think the problem is two sided. First, the youths of today are lazy, they are unwilling to stay under the tutelage of elders long enough to gain the required experience. Secondly, the elders have developed an attitude of wanting to hold on to power longer than necessary. They exhibit unexplainable greed, working so hard to amass illicit wealth that 4 generations down can not spend.
The elders need to understand the need to let go at the right time and the youth need learn to hold on a little bit longer. Essentially, we need to cure the get rich quick and by whatever means syndrome.
Thank you for your insightful response.
A generation with abundance of resources but less blessing.
Thank you for your insightful response.
I think it is the environment. The same Nigerian youths will prosper in other places. It is not the people, it is the environment. Environment is influenced by leadership and family. Both leaders and family have abandoned their primary responsibility. Families train their children that the best thing they can become is to have money. They didn’t teach them empathy. Leaders are attracted to power only for money sake not to serve. Solutions: to get credible leaders we must change how we recruit our leaders. For family system, we must punish parents for not taking their responsibility and engage in parenting education. Before any marriage is to take place there must be premarital training education.
Thank you for your insightful response.