Growing up in a traditional American family, I was taught the golden rules for better living: “eat your vegetables,” “tell the truth,” “be careful about your family”, and other equally precious nuggets of wisdom. One of them, “Respect your elders,” was of particular merit to me as I grew up. It was our elders who gave us guidance when we were lost, knowledge when we were lacking, clarity when we were confused - hell, our very existence wouldn't be possible without at least two of them coming together. come together to create us. I know that I would not be the student I am today without building on the foundations that my parents, grandparents, and past generations built to secure my own future. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay But as I grew older myself, I found that such a golden rule was sometimes fools' gold. What if the elder in question came from a sexist and racist era that carried such sentiments into our modern, “politically correct” times? What if young people showed the most canine obedience towards an elder who continued to deny their humanity and rewarded them with reprimands? Or the rude guy who rides around on a scooter demanding whatever comes into his head, demanding it instantly, without patience or gratitude? These are all characteristics deemed objectionable and punishable in children – but why is forgiveness accepted in older adults and even culturally taught in modern American society? In no way am I saying that complete disregard for the elderly should be the new norm in American society. culture – without older people, many Americans would not have a solid foundation to fall back on. What must be changed, however, is the teaching of absolute adherence to the golden rule to every elder, regardless of their background or behavior. This rejection not only encourages negative behavior among the elderly, but also interprets ethics in the eyes of the young and promotes similar behavior when they too become the elderly class. As any good parent would mention (with the denials of any bad parent), this is how much their child has picked up habits and characteristics from themselves, their siblings, and their own parents. An adult's refusal to do so is irresponsible and sometimes downright abusive. Professor Barry Checkoway of the University of Michigan School of Social Work said that adultism (the extreme and absolute view that an adult takes priority over a child in thought, action and morality) could lead the child to “question his own legitimacy, to doubt his legitimacy”. their ability to make a difference. (Rorrkychand, 2012) With the Golden Rule in place, a child who tries to appease such a rule would find several adults who frankly don't care or think of him. The confused child would wonder exactly what he did wrong after following the golden instruction, causing self-doubt and prompting a humble view of himself because he didn't understand the "why" on how such treatment might occur. Or, in another case, the child becomes irritated by the rule, seeing that it cannot be applied to everyone and leads to abandoning it altogether due to constant mistreatment by elders. Either way, the child is affected for the rest of his life by following one of these two negative views which would not only impact).