Filial Piety

[tbieter]

"SEOUL – There’s a dark side to South Korea’s 50-year rise to riches: The graying generation that is most responsible for that ascent is living in relative poverty.

Although famous for its high achievers and its big spending on private tutors and luxury goods, half of South Korea’s elderly are poor, the highest rate in the industrialized world.

In much of Asia, a powerful Confucian social contract has for centuries dictated that children care for their aging parents. But that filial piety is weakening as younger generations migrate to cities. The change is particularly noteworthy in South Korea, because it has accumulated wealth so quickly and its society is so notoriously aggressive, with ruthless competition for the best test scores and more prestigious jobs." (Emphasis added)
http://www.startribune.com/world/241402031.html

Ideas have consequences:
In the 1960's, college students were taught that whatever problems they had, the blame lay with their parents. "Never trust anyone over 30" "Question all authority." "Challenge all tradition." These were constant refrains.

When I was in law school (1964-1969), I worked with Rod, a college student. We had many pro/con discussions on the above slogans. His parents owned a farm in NE Minnesota where he grew up. He had become alienated from his parents and had stopped all contact with them. I distinctly remember vigorously arguing that he should not reject his parents! We eventually went our separate ways.

Some years later I was sitting in my law office in Duluth when my secretary announced that Rod wanted to see me if I had some time. I had enjoyed his company, so I was delighted by his visit. He came in accompanied by a wife and baby. After some introductions, the wife and baby left to go shopping so we could talk.

After some catching up, he mentioned our past arguments on his alienation from his parents. He said that I had been right, that he had made a terrible mistake. He had reestablished contact with his parents and was trying to reestablish their relationship. However, when I tried to say something comforting and optimistic, He said "no", that he had hurt them tremendously, and that their relationship could never be repaired.

Beware of people who speak in slogans.

Remember that relationships with others are fragile beings.

[Impenitent]

"a mind is a terrible thing to waste..."

-Imp