In many human communities throughout history, elders were...
“In many human communities throughout history, elders weren't just respected — they were essential. The ones who remembered the drought, the bad season, the way through. Knowledge passed face to face. Generation to generation. Nothing written down — just presence. Now we place the elderly in separate facilities, visit on holidays, and outsource their wisdom to search engines. We didn't run out of things to learn from them. We just stopped building a life that included them. The generation that remembers the most — is the one we see the least.”
Summary
Historical evidence confirms that many societies relied on elders to transmit essential knowledge through oral traditions. Contemporary research shows that social isolation of older adults negatively impacts health and that modern cultures often undervalue elders’ wisdom, indicating a shift away from the inclusive practices of the past. Consequently, the claim that elders were once essential and are now increasingly marginalized is well supported.
Sources 59 searched
- Social isolation, loneliness and accelerated tooth loss among Chinese older adults: A longitudinal study - PubMed
Results: Social isolation was associated with fewer remaining teeth (β = -.06, 95% CI = -0.13 to 0.00, p < .05) and accelerated tooth loss (β = -.02, 95% CI = -0.02 to -0.01, p < .01) after adjusting for sociodemographic covariates, lifestyle ...
- The association between social isolation and oral health of community-dwelling older adults-A systematic review - PubMed
The results of our systematic review showed a bidirectional association between social isolation and oral health in independent community-dwelling older adults. Both objective and perceived social isolation are associated with oral health. As ...
- Association between oral, social, and physical frailty in community-dwelling older adults - ScienceDirect
In this systematic review, we ... associations with adverse health outcomes. Frailty, across assessment type, was associated with increased loneliness and social isolation, perceived inadequacy of social support, and reduced ...
- The role of oral traditions within marginalized societies and their validity within archives - Myra Khan - ASU Library
While often associated with indigenous American communities who have entire ceremonies dedicated to the transfer of knowledge, stories, and traditions, many societies across the world relied on oral tradition historically, such as the ancient Vedic South Asians, indigenous Australians, West ...
- Oral Tradition | Milwaukee Public Museum
Oral tradition is important in all societies, despite the reliance of some cultures on written records and accounts.
- Are older people wiser? | Center for Practical Wisdom | The University of Chicago
In this sense, I belief the elderly provide a deeper insight and are better equipped to provide moral guidance and insight to life’s problems and challenges. Maybe the real question isn’t if older people are wiser, but rather, are we doing enough to listen to their wisdom?
- Knowledge and power in oral cultures (Chapter Two) - Knowledge and Power in Prehistoric Societies
Firstly, basic knowledge is acquired ... Secondly, a specialised form of knowledge is transmitted in bounded situations, which comes largely from participation in ceremonies and discussion with elders....
- What happens when a society (and a church) stops listening to the elderly - America Magazine
Lasch goes on to say that this disrespect for elders is made worse by the “cult of youth,” which values “beauty, charm, celebrity, or power-attributes that usually fade with time,” while devaluing “the wisdom of the ages.” This mentality sends “all forms of authority (including the authority of experience) into disrepute.” I can’t help but think of the “OK boomer” memes that are meant to signal that an older person’s perspective on current events is irrelevant.
- Are You Older and Wiser? | Admiral At The Lake
Vivian Clayton says that wisdom has three components—knowledge, reflection, and compassion. As recently as a century ago, elders were the front of wisdom because they had memories of what had and hadn’t worked in the past and because they were smart enough to have lived longer than anyone else.
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