“The world is passing through troublous times. The young people of today think nothing but of themselves. They have no reverence for parents or old age. They are impatient of all restraint. They talk as if they knew everything, and what passes for wisdom with us is foolishness with them. As for the girls, they are forward, immodest and unladylike in speech, behavior and dress.” (Peter the Hermit, circa 1250)
Well, since he was a hermit, perhaps he wasn’t tuned in to the leading technology of the day, so what did he know.
Many centuries before Peter, Hesiod also despaired about the future and the state of youth at the time:
“I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on the frivolous young people of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words. When I was young, we were taught to be discreet and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly disrespectful) and impatient of restraint.” (Hesiod, 8th Century, BCE).
A few hundred years after Hesiod, Socrates, as quoted by Plato, started to document ADHD in the classroom and the challenges that the beleaguered teachers faced.
“The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; and they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, and are not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.” (Socrates, circa 870 BCE)
(Man, can you imagine if those hooligans in Socrates’ time had iPhones!!!!!!)
Plato built on Socrates and started his own documenting of oppositional defiant disorders and conduct disorder.
“What is happening to our young people? They disrespect their elders. They disobey their parents. They ignore the law. They riot in the streets inflamed with wild notions. Their morals are decaying. What is to become of them?” (Plato)
Takeaway Point
The more things change, the more they remain the same.
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Copyright, Richard Selznick, Ph.D. 2022, www.shutdownlearner.com.
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