Quick question for everyone… How many of us still watch the news? Our house does not. However, like many, we receive our information, and most updates, for that matter, from phone apps and social media. Now I do love listening to talk radio. It keeps my mind off of having road rage.
Time is one of the issues; I don’t remember the last time I was at home at 5 or 6 o’clock to sit down to watch the news. Another reason is that it is depressing and can irritate you. The other reason is the “news” has already happened, and I cannot do anything about it.
I ask and say all of the above to say this… Every time I watch or listen to the news, I realize that society, in general, is fighting generational and cultural differences to a point at which right vs. wrong is becoming something way more than relative. Blame can be placed on the older generations as much as on the younger ones.
I get it; every generation has its own values, beliefs, and cultural norms that evolve over time. People nowadays often embrace new ideas and challenge existing norms, creating friction. The knowledge and belief gap that exist can make changing or influencing cultural norms difficult. I’m not against fighting the status quo (a lot of good has come from it), but we are flirting and tip-toeing in areas causing future generational ramifications and setbacks we may never recover from.
A few thoughts…
- Human beings, by nature, can be resistant to change. Not to say that change is either good or bad, but we are creatures of habit. Contrasting views of cultural norms are usually seen as a threat to one’s own values or traditions, leading to resistance and opposition. We know what happens when people are threatened…
- There is a limited perspective of tolerance and intolerance. One side becomes intolerant when the other is not, and vice versa. It almost begs the idea that there is an intolerance of tolerance. Some beliefs do not want tolerance. There are many beliefs that I do not fully understand, appreciate or accept, but at the same time, I have no desire to. This doesn’t make me more right or more wrong, so the context of the belief becomes irrelevant.
- There is an identity crisis in the making. It is really hard to determine who people really are anymore. Talk about power dynamics… when disagreements occur, many feel as though their identity is being attacked. Seemingly, we are forced to adapt to their extreme as such.
- Who’s the authority? When you feel no one is “in charge,” you can assert your independence and autonomy however you please. Here lies a problem: imposing beliefs creates resistance to authority and an acknowledgment to a moral code ceases.
- Incremental change has long been happening. We see it before our eyes, while at the same time, we ask ourselves, “How did we get here so fast?” Slow change creates an absorbing acceptance when enough people encounter a belief system, be it right or wrong, and decide to take stand.
Most of the time, I think I have an answer for almost anything. But, as time moves forward and I grow older, I’m not sure anymore. I’m sure the generations before us worried about the future, and now I agree with them. It will be interesting. Cultural norms are not fixed, and they will continue to evolve.
Where you stand with your beliefs is ultimately your business. I know where I stand with mine. Some will agree, and some will disagree; to each their own. But make no mistake, cultural change is happening, and division will always be among us. Ultimately, we must look in the mirror and decide who we really are, and know that we do not have to walk around with an agenda all the time.
Go be a great educator and leader today… Our future needs it…
Remember… Think Leadership and Be For Others…
©2023 J Clay Norton
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