The Inconsistency of Growing Old
Recently, a raven told me that there would be an age requirement for principalities and powers. "Ark! If thou hast excess of two score years and but a little more, thou wilt not be granted ascension, and thou shalt perish as a small power unsated and beneath contempt."
Haha, it is one of those rare and silly things. If you are too old, you cannot ascend to the seat of the wise. It would be ludicrous to think of this except in an exceptionally foolish society. Especially when in the highest realms of the City, it is said that you must be at least of two score years and a little more in order to reach the seats of the great. In fact, it is said that the highest of the wise and great should be of four-score years, proven strength and indispensable wisdom all in one.
It beggars belief that the raven's croakings might be true, but sadly, it is not beyond my creative and imaginative powers to imagine how it might be true. I am quite sure that a society which thinks it is ossifying in the middle has got two main views: 1) that the oldest and wisest are legendary and hence beyond ossification; 2) that the youngest and most efficient have not ossified yet. Hence you must have young powers of their third decade and a bit, and old powers after their fifth decade. The rest need not apply.
Truly, I say, a case of scorer, ossifer, general-men.
I used to believe that a society that valued education should have values respecting the wisdom and effectiveness of the old, rather than the energetic efficiency of the young alone. Then I realised that seniority could also fall into the trap of selective banding. The really old are in power, ergo, that is a natural state to be continued. The middle-aged are not energetic enough; neither are they in power, ergo, anyone at that level who is not in power should never be. The young are a different generation and manipulatable, let us put them in power beneath the ones who are in power.
Two phrases come to mind. Firstly, that consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds; secondly, that things should be done on a case-by-case basis. The two mean the same thing: that power and wisdom trump the rule of law and order. This would be perfectly acceptable, if you could ensure that power and wisdom together are indeed right. The problem in this world is that this is seldom true; instead, the flight from consistency towards individualism and flexibility can overshoot the mark and lead to chaos, favoritism, nepotism, and other corruptive ills of society.
Ah well, I always leave it to the wise and powerful who claim they know what they are doing. That is because, eventually, the All-Wise and All-Powerful will have His say in the End.
Haha, it is one of those rare and silly things. If you are too old, you cannot ascend to the seat of the wise. It would be ludicrous to think of this except in an exceptionally foolish society. Especially when in the highest realms of the City, it is said that you must be at least of two score years and a little more in order to reach the seats of the great. In fact, it is said that the highest of the wise and great should be of four-score years, proven strength and indispensable wisdom all in one.
It beggars belief that the raven's croakings might be true, but sadly, it is not beyond my creative and imaginative powers to imagine how it might be true. I am quite sure that a society which thinks it is ossifying in the middle has got two main views: 1) that the oldest and wisest are legendary and hence beyond ossification; 2) that the youngest and most efficient have not ossified yet. Hence you must have young powers of their third decade and a bit, and old powers after their fifth decade. The rest need not apply.
Truly, I say, a case of scorer, ossifer, general-men.
I used to believe that a society that valued education should have values respecting the wisdom and effectiveness of the old, rather than the energetic efficiency of the young alone. Then I realised that seniority could also fall into the trap of selective banding. The really old are in power, ergo, that is a natural state to be continued. The middle-aged are not energetic enough; neither are they in power, ergo, anyone at that level who is not in power should never be. The young are a different generation and manipulatable, let us put them in power beneath the ones who are in power.
Two phrases come to mind. Firstly, that consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds; secondly, that things should be done on a case-by-case basis. The two mean the same thing: that power and wisdom trump the rule of law and order. This would be perfectly acceptable, if you could ensure that power and wisdom together are indeed right. The problem in this world is that this is seldom true; instead, the flight from consistency towards individualism and flexibility can overshoot the mark and lead to chaos, favoritism, nepotism, and other corruptive ills of society.
Ah well, I always leave it to the wise and powerful who claim they know what they are doing. That is because, eventually, the All-Wise and All-Powerful will have His say in the End.
etched with acid at 12:52:00 pm
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