Young and Old

What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun. - Ecclesiastes 1:9

It is both a blessing and a curse of youth to believe that any idea is new, ground-breaking, or unique. It is a blessing because even if there is "nothing new under the sun," old ideas that have faded from memory often need to be rediscovered. On the other hand, it can also be a curse because youthfulness sometimes promotes an arrogance that rejects the wisdom of previous generations.

We should thank God for the audacity of the young for it keeps us honest and motivated to chart new courses and test the boundaries of an often false, rigid, predetermined capacity. At the same time, let us also thank God for the wisdom that comes from experience for it keeps us from hopefully repeating all the mistakes of our past (though we will inevitably repeat some).

The key for organizational success, it seems, is for each (youth and experience) to respectfully listen to the other within the shared goal of achieving the purposes of God.

If youth knew, if age could. - Sigmund Freud