One school of thought holds that old people hold very traditional ideas of the lifestyle and mindset that everyone should have. Meanwhile, others think that those will not help young people to prepare for modern life. In this essay, I will delve deeper into both ideas before explaining why I opine the latter.
On the one hand, the traditional lifestyle and mindset of old people has brought them many benefits. Old people tend to have a healthier life; due to their stingy daily routine that most young people lack. People who grew up in the former eras often wake up very early in the morning and regularly do exercises. They also keep a very healthy diet with three full meals, that most young people skip, and often avoid junk foods. With this lifestyle, old individuals stay healthy, avoid any illness, and increase their life expectancy. For example, in Vietnam, it is common to see seniors doing exercise early in the morning at the park or in their frontyards, and their meals often consist of rice and both meat and vegetables. This lifestyle has helped them avoid any illness caused from bad habits and increased the overall life expectancy in Vietnam.
However, there are also mindsets and traditions that are no longer suitable with the news society. For instance, the gender equality in family and society was very different in the past, which was unfair for women and restricted their freedom. Back then, only men were allowed to go to school, while women had to stay at home and do household chores; moreover, the female members of the family had to absolutely obey the male members without a doubt. This mindset has become irrelevant and is unaccepted by modern society, where everybody has the same right and control over their own life. Moreover, with the development of technologies, it has become an inseparable part of everyday life. Meanwhile, old people still think that it is harmful for young people to always attach to their phone or computer, and often say that they should spend more time outside and find meaningful things to do. However, they may not know that most jobs now require to work online and a decent understanding of technologies, unlike how in the past they had to actually go to the workplace to do their jobs manually. This often creates problems between generations, due to different mindset and misunderstanding each other.
In conclusion, it is of great importance for young people to learn from their senior experience and lifestyle. However, they should not do it mindlessly; as there are some traditions and mindset that are now unsuitable and irrelevant in the new, everchanging society.