It seems to me the ability to respectfully disagree with another's viewpoint is a lost art. It's easier to convince ourselves that we are better (and better off) than our peers or even our parents and their peers. Young people today are so technologically connected that they aren't put in personal situations where they must learn how to live with multiple viewpoints. Lessons on manners and etiquette are no longer passed from the older generations to the younger generations.
While young adults are versed on 'freedom of speech', it's only their speech that is free. The moment they are faced with someone who questions the validity of their information or offers an opposite viewpoint, they hit the 'delete' button. There's no one to hold them accountable and remind them they can't possibly 'know it all' because they aren't 'fully cooked' yet. They can 'unfriend' and 'block' anyone that disagrees with them. In this digital age, it's much easier to build a world around themselves filled with people that pat them on the back and tell them how wonderful they are, even if it's only to avoid becoming their next chastising victim.
Families don't get together in large groups of multiple generations nearly as often as previous generations. I worry that our lives have become more superficial. So much history is lost because we aren't aware of the importance of the experience and wisdom of our senior citizens gained by years of hard work and lives well lived. It's a much underused and neglected resource. I feel blessed to have a few resources left.
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