Age chauvinism in Poland regarding young people

I'm curious if that phenom is also wide spread in other countries, or is it only a Polish trait? By age chauvinism regarding young people I mean the attitude of older generations characterised by the belief or the view that the children/youth/young adults are worser and not enough good in almost every aspect of life. It does not concern only the contemporary generation but also the previous ones: our parents and grandparents were also told by theirs that they are worse. Somehow I feel that people in other countries are more prone to teach respect by giving respect and support to their children and young people in general. Is that true? What are the implications of that state of affairs in your, outsiders, eyes?

You should change the thread subject because it doesn't make sense as it is!
Kids know ***** and that is a general true! The qestion you should ask - are they wise up when they get older? A: Some do and some don't!

I don't question that. But does it mean they should be treat like a piece of sh*t?

nobody should but it is not subject for debate on the internet.

How do you "feel" what people in other countries are "prone" to do? Read Voltaire what he had to say about youth of his age. Voltaire was this French guy in France. I'd mention the old Greek guys from Greece, but you'd probably think it has no relevance to today's enlightened youth.

Do you try to teach your Dad how to make children and are upset he "doesn't get it?"


Sweetie, here is my advice, say things in a clear and simple way that make sense, and older people will respect that.

sounds true to me and a good observation on your part, but it is not limited to young people only. Generally mutual respect is on the low side in Poland in my opinion in comparison to other countries. Simple luck of manners doesn't help either.


here is one example, although Irons does not reside in Poland.


another proof of such behaviour, yet both of the posters are low on respect in general:D. Not sure what the reason is, but I suspect the good old self esteem has something to do with it.

en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Youth

People have always loved to complain, they will complain about the youth, the old, the indifferent.
They will even complain about the complainers :)

For those who did not understand my initial post: of course young people are lacking of the life experience and they should learn from the elders but usually those elders are so dismisive to them that's almost impossible... what they can learn is how to look down on the younger ones, which ashamely I must admit I do myself more and more often... I think of those born in the 90s as worser than my own generation... just for the sake of thinking better of myself ;)

There is also a bad propaganda against young people... just look on Polonius' posts. One can wonder if he's in touch with young people or he only knows them from the telly.

I just wondered if that's just a human trait or something cultural. Thanks to SeanBM answer (as usual brilliant post! :) now I know it's the way things goes from the dawn of the times :)))

And aphrodisiac is right too, level of rudeness in daily life is just exorbitant in Poland.

Torq deserves all the credit for

In my honest opinion, from conversations with friends from the U.S. it appears to me that old people are listened to more here in Poland than in the U.S. (or Ireland for that matter).

The reasons could be that while in many countries we have nuclear families, children leave the parents and set up their own (for the most part) independent families.

While in Poland, due to lack of money, people live in huge homes, housing four generations.

The trick about culture is that it is our ability to communicate to the next generation and each other that is our culture.
Most Polish people have daily direct contact with their grandparents (for better (babysitting) and worse (being told that they are disrespectful)).

I don't like youth worship, which seems to be all the media really do.

There is a wealth of information in the elderly, maybe we should listen more.

I suppose what I am saying at the end of the day is that, according to rumor, old people were once young :)

hmmm... a lot of my friends [real and virtual] are teachers - and their impressions of youngsters is... how to say .... awful. You know, I am quite old [61 years old], you could think I'm prejudiced, but my colleagues [most of them I did like nonetheless] from my daily are nice but... undereducated. And they didn't even realize it. But they think they deserve the big money - even if they didn't know any languages, couldn't find informations in internet, and their polish is... hmmm... incorrect? non-grammatical?

I had very good contact with my grandmothers despite one of them had the same views on youth as Polonius. I can't think of them other way than warmly :)

As for my parents... they like call us idiots :)))


I agree about the level of education these days being awful. I was always very critical about that on this forum. But there's always a reason behind the effect... as people say :)

The fact is that only about up to 10 % of population is eligible enough for the higher education, while the amount of the academic students is much higher. The people hasn't changed really, it's the system which is at fault.

On the side note, funny thing about the langauges. My parents were taught English, and both of them stopped at the level of: I am, You are, She is, He is... while I'm chatting with foreigners on this forum (of course I'm fully aware that my lanaguge is very poor though)

One of the biggest differences between myself and my parents is that a married couple with kids could afford everything (mortgage, car, food, bills etc...) on (usually) the husbands wage.

That isn't possible on the average wage anymore.

Then we have the Lotto and a whole host of media telling everyone what they have to have to be happy. It's perverse.
So people go round wearing expensive clothes but don't have any money.
I thought the film showed me a glimpse of a world I happily will never know.


The older I become (I am still quite young) the more I agree that I was an idiot.

But there seems to be a good way to go. When you're young you do stupid things, push boundaries, sometimes reckless and thoughtless.
Sure I think if it weren't like that you wouldn't be able to say you really lived, not really :)


Above quote attributed to Bill Gates but apparently he didn't write it, doesn't really matter but just thought I'd say.

"Congratulations! You're what's wrong with the world"

Shame to admit but I recognised only 5 people from the pics. On the other hand I recognised Snookie... not that I watch Jersey Shore, just when switching the channels it's hard not to notice those yobs!

Top left
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Hawking
under him
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Curie Sklodowska
next
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein
next
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayaan_Hirsi_Ali
Under the black lady
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Newton
next to them
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Sagan
Bottom left
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Tesla
next
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigmund_Freud
I have no idea who that man second from the left on the bottom is??? then
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Darwin

This could be a thread on it's own.
But some real cool cats in that list and some very interesting stories too.


I don't know who or what that is but I don't watch T.V. much.

Famous atheist, he died recently

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Hitchens

Thanks jadis, I will read up on him now,

The internet is really amazing, have a question, get an answer.