Older people can become isolated, lacking meaningful work and low on funds.
Older people can become isolated, lacking meaningful work and low on funds. In this intriguing talk, Jared Diamond looks at how many different societies treat their elders -- some better, some worse -- and suggests we all take advantage of experience.
Jared Diamond is the author of Guns, Germs, and Steel, which was a provocative answer to the question of why Europe dominated the world for much of recent history. More recently, he has written The World Before Yesterday, an investigation of traditional societies, and what the modern world might learn from them.
There are many things that elderly people contribute to their societies: They may be effective in producing food. They can babysit grandchildren , freeing their children to hunt and gather. They can craft things. And often they are the leaders and the most knowledgeable.
Diamond reminds us that we should consider, without romanticizing, that, “Traditional society elders have traditionally more rich lives.
Some skills increase with age, like understanding of people and human relationships, the ability to help others without ego, and understanding and making connections between large, interdisciplinary data sets.
They have gained in value because of the experience in living conditions that are gone, but might come back. None of the young people, including most voters and politicians, have lived through a depression, or a World War. While there are many things they can’t do as well, there are many things they can do better.
Now in our society, most old people end up living separately from their children, and away from the friends they grew up with. In traditional societies everyone lives out their lives among their children and friends.