I KEEP being teased about my salt-and-pepper hair. A lot. And so, even if I am not the oldest one in my team, I accept the ribbing and the flippant way they joke about me and my graying crown because I know it is all done in good humor and I am not offended by it at all. In fact, I revel in my originality. But it becomes a wet rag when someone uses it when they have nothing better to say or when they have lost the argument. But I just let it slide. I am too comfortable in my own skin and what I know I can and cannot do that I ignore comments which do not help me at all.
I have encountered a few generational slurs lately to prompt me to ask why people are suddenly so preoccupied with generational differences and are more focused on these than what each generation has actually contributed to what we have today. And I guess this also cuts across not just generations but ideologies and political leanings, as well, to the point where everything has become polarized even if initially there was no intent to dichotomize. And in a society where everybody is encouraged to exercise their freedom of speech, everything is seen through their own lenses. Everybody wants to speak. Nobody wants to listen. And so we end up with people wanting to be heard but not willing to hear others out.
But I digress. I really want to focus on the willful disregard of what previous generations have contributed to what we enjoy today, and how each generation is unique in how they shape the world and the communities they live in. I used to teach in a school where one of the pivotal materials used is called the totem pole of civilization, which showed the caveman in the bottom and the contemporary man on top. This teaches grade school students the lesson that each one rests on top of the others to symbolize their contribution for other people to build on. The countless liberties you enjoy today are the products of other people’s struggles.
Just recently, I watched the astonishing four-part Hulu documentary on Hillary Clinton and I discovered that women only started becoming actively elected to Congress in the early 1990s, and they have gone on to hold prominent positions including Nancy Pelosi—the only woman to have held the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives not just once but twice. But these women would not have been able to occupy such powerful and seminal positions if not for others who have made headways in civil rights and gender parity. Today’s women owe a debt of gratitude to the countless women before them who struggled and continue to fight to create the environment they enjoy today. To forget what these trailblazers have accomplished is incongruous to enjoying the fruits of their sacrifice. To put this in perspective: How do you think Andres Bonifacio would feel and think about the government today?
What I really do not understand are the self-entitled people who willfully disregard other people’s contributions and arrogantly declare themselves pioneers blazing the trail on their own. There is nothing wrong with innovation and doing things differently, but you need to and must appreciate those who went before you. And before we disparage other people’s opinions and ideas, we need to understand that people speak in context. Understand their context and you will understand what they are saying between the lines.
While we need to be open-minded and take other’s opinions in consideration, there are still absolutes. A professor once said to us to keep our minds open but not so much that our brains fall out. There is more danger in sitting on the fence because it means you do not have any principles to guide you, or, worse, you wait for whichever side is winning. On the other hand, what also alarms me is the devil-may-care attitude which is so rampant these days, with people flippantly saying and doing whatever they feel like as a form of self-expression. Your rights end where the rights of others begin. Just like there are principles governing physics and the natural world, there are absolutes governing acceptable behavior and consequences for violations, and you need to choose which ones you will conform to.
On the flip side of this would be those who think everything is black and white. Gray areas are swept under the rug in the vain attempt to ignore these altogether. But it is actually in the gray areas where people can be creative and raise awareness of issues affecting the minority. I think the gray areas help us understand differences, and to at least appreciate that not all people will think the way we do. It would be better, of course, if we can embrace and accept people for who they are, but I think recognizing that they exist will suffice. In the end, we are all called to love one another.
Also, ever notice that people are so focused on standing out when what they really want is just to belong? That is because we are all part of a community and our communities form part of who we are. People find their “unique” identities in social groups where they feel safe and comfortable, and where they can be who they really are. It may seem ironic that we find our individuality in groups but it actually just shows our identity rests in a community where we feel accepted. And I guess those who make noise and feel the need to create an opportunity to be in the limelight are those who feel unaccepted in their own groups.
Talent is a rare gift which can get you noticed, but you still need hard work to sustain it. Look to the likes of athletes, like Kobe Bryant or artists, like Madonna and you will discover they are where they are now not just because of their talent but also, and just as importantly, because of their hard work and perseverance. The problem lies with flash-in-the-pan personalities who suddenly find themselves in the public eye because of their talent but fail to sustain it with hard work, or even sustain being relevant. Your credibility can only go so far as your integrity and dedication to your craft. And this goes for anyone who finds themselves in the spotlight.
In this time when the fad is dictated by whoever is popular, nothing beats a reputation based on integrity and consistent and reliable performance. Countless brands have maintained their market through innovations and at the same time being true to their vision. A vision which encompasses not just profit but corporate social responsibility in communities where they belong.
Image credits: AP