Thai editorial: Innocent? Naive? Who are you kidding?

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EDITORIAL
Innocent? Naive? Who are you kidding?
The Nation

Children are often noted for innocence or naivety but increasingly it's Adults who suffer self-doubt in our fast-changing world

BANGKOK: -- It’s not quite so in this era, as the dizzying pace of technological advancement means the ones who have to struggle to understand the world are those who grew up unfamiliar with YouTube, Google or LINE. Whereas today's kids go about in a world driven by "applications" with relative ease, adults are like rabbits in the headlights. Look who has to be babysat in tech stores.

Problem is, it's not just the tech stores. This has become a planet where children "know first" in many cases.

Adults may "take the hot bath before the children do", as an old Thai saying goes, but it’s the latter who are more exposed to fresh historical, scientific and archaeological discoveries as well as musical or cultural inventions. They say new waves often catch up with the old ones, but what if new waves are starting off way ahead to begin with?

The best we can do is teach them to ride the bicycle. If you want to buy the coolest devices, consult the rascals.

Children's Day used to be a celebration of an important step that the older generations had taken before them, yet that sense of compassionate superiority among adults barely holds nowadays. Of course, the old still want the young to go all the way and accomplish what they cannot, but what hurts is the latter’s fast-increasing degree of independence.

Younger generations are growing up watching TV series in which the villains can no longer be smelled from miles away.

To today's adults "The world is grey" is an ideological comfort, a phase that is usually said but not quite believed. But today's children are born into a "grey" world, and they will teach us with absolute certainty that it's a mistake to see things as black and white.

The real comfort for today's adults is that human beings are supposed to be smarter or think differently with every passing generation. The adults themselves are part of generations that buried the witch-hunt, eliminated slavery and stopped believing that the world was flat.

Evolution just seems to be getting a lot faster these days.

So, who are naive, actually? Is it the children, who are learning the possibility of multiple universes - or their parents, who are still using money to value success? Who knows more about good and bad? And remember, some youngsters were taught - are still being taught - that killing "God's enemies" will take them to heaven.

Educators, everyone agrees, play the most important role. But as we know, children absorb everything from everyone.

Experiences, therefore, are still valuable, although it's a lot safer to give them to the kids with a disclaimer.

Perhaps we can go with

something like, "This is how my generation would do it" or "This is what my generation believed."

Forget arranging Government House tours and putting tanks and jet fighters on show.

The ultimate question is: What should we teach the young?

Maybe the bicycle advice is not such a bad concept, philosophically speaking: Keep your eyes open, maintain balance and never stop going forward.

Life is the view upfront and on the roadsides, they should be told, and each rider will enjoy the ride for themselves, which is, more likely than not, something even the teacher never experienced before.


-- The Nation 2014-01-06

[FangFerang]

Wow. Another good piece from The Nation. ?

I think it is a trend.

[EricBerg]

Far too many ignorant lines in the article to comment on. But in general: The average grown-up already found out the world is far from black and white. They still are the most important people to raise their children and teach them about justice, friendship, helpfulness (if that's correct English) and many other values that tend to be forgotten in the present political shoot-out.

[lupin]

Good god, absolute drivel.

[MaxLee]

Stop Thai S( C)HINESE propaganda

[Costas2008]

"The ultimate question is: What should we teach the young?"

Some suggestions for Thai parents:

Teach your children, not to be spoiled brats with no respect for other people.

Teach your children not to be little cowards, attacking single people in packs.

Teach your children not to suffer from Xenophobia (as you do) and point to every foreign man or woman shouting....Farang.

There are many other things....but it's too early for me and I still didn't have my coffee.

[robblok]

I bet this article will be destroyed by the resident OAP's.

Some people still think that reaching a certain age and having grey hairs is an accomplishment and their words should be listened to as if it was the word of (imaginary) god itself. Truth is just reaching an age does not mean a thing respect and knowledge is earned. Some young people might learn a lot more and a lot faster then those old adults caught in their past with a feeling of superiority. (rock and roll is the devil and now its social messaging is the devil)

Thing is each generation is different and so far it has always gone well. Though it would be good if some core values could be taught (if we can even agree on what those are). But instead of teaching people adults should lead by example instead of talking but doing things differently (one set of rules for adults and one set for kids). Just lead by example and show how its done the kids will pick it up, explain stuff to them don't tell them how it is but why it is.

[Hawk]

The real comfort for today's adults is that human beings are supposed to be smarter or think differently with every passing generation. The adults themselves are part of generations that buried the witch-hunt, eliminated slavery and stopped believing that the world was flat.

Adults these days are mostly just materialists, money is their god, and the rich set a great example by using their money to be above the law. Witch hunts are still going on throughout this shiny land, and when was slavery eradicated, look under the surface and one will discover some very nasty truths, and as for the world being flat or not, most Thais wouldn't know as their knowledge of geography and ability to read a map are practically none existent.

As for the children, they will become yet another lost genenation, while the Nation is giving these children far to much credit in assuming that any Thai child/teenager has even heard about "multiple universes", these children firstly need to learn that Thailand is not the centre of the (flat)world.

[DocN]

Start with simply teaching them respect for every other human being: rich or poor, Thai or foreigner...that would be an excellent start!

[ianf]

It is a sad fact that behind all the social problems in Thailand is an education system that does not deliver. My niece's school in Chiang Mai: All the learning by rote, uniforms and appearance more important than proper learning; English lessons consisted of 6 months of repeating ABC.......... until they knew it by heart and on and on and on. A meeting was called for parents at 7am on Sunday morning. The parents were there ready and waiting. The teacher turned up at 11am. Yes, 4 hours late. The parents sat there uncomplaining. The teacher is higher than them! My Mrs (looking after the niece because the mother can't be bothered) was quite angry and was the only parent out of 70 to complain to the teacher. The teacher's angry reaction was to tell my wife to sit down and behave and 'how dare she question the teacher ...'. I withdrew the child and she is in a very good small private school. The transformation in the last 4 months in this child has been astonishing. She is now interested in what goes on around her, she loves learning, she plays proper games, she's a different child.

Attitudes are taught in schools. Most kids who go to school at a young age here lack social communication skills because most parents (working class as well as middle people) use the television as a baby sitter. Most of the TV content is unsuitable for small kids, but that doesn't bother the parents and the tv-watching is indiscriminate.

You put all this together with the political problems we experience here and the way the people kow-tow to those who have more wealth (even though that wealth may have been stolen) then ... well you get the idea!

Children's Day! Agreed, it's children's entertainment. There is nothing done to improve the position of kids in this country. And let's not start on the huge waste of money that was the tablet giveaway!

[verywierd]

"The ultimate question is: What should we teach the young?"

Some suggestions for Thai parents:

Teach your children, not to be spoiled brats with no respect for other people.

Teach your children not to be little cowards, attacking single people in packs.

Teach your children not to suffer from Xenophobia (as you do) and point to every foreign man or woman shouting....Farang.

There are many other things....but it's too early for me and I still didn't have my coffee.

I can't understand the upset over fighting in packs. Dogs do it, wolves do it, lions do it, U Boats do it, the US Military (and others) doctrine is to have overwhelming force when attacking. It is only common sense. If you fight, you fight to win. There is no second prize.

In Asia, when a "hero" steps out and issues a challenge, it means he is willing to take on all comers, individually or in groups. Just watch any kung <deleted> film. The only time there is a one-on-one fight is when both parties have already proven that they can wipe out all lesser opponents.

There is no tradition of the "friendly" bar room brawl in Asia. Fights are meant to be won, and nobody shakes hands afterwards - or you don't fight at all.

[mimithewoof]

Very Weird - life, whether in Asia, the Middle East, Africa or even in the West, isn't a Kung <deleted> movie!

You might also note that historic wars over territory are rarely begun by the everyday people, but by governments backed by the elite, rich and powerful. Check out WWI, it's a good example of two-legged cannon fodder being spun the nationalism line by their governments.

As regards your 'traditional friendly bar-room brawl' - where have you been for the last few years? In my country of origin, the UK, even formerly peaceful market towns in rural England are weekend battle grounds for drunken teenagers with a no-holds-barred mentality. Deaths are often the result, just as they are across Asia and in the USA.

It's man gang thing, whether the gang is local or the military of a world power, and winning is the name of the game, which doesn't make it justifiable in any sense. Vietnam and Afghanistan are two perfect examples which were a total waste of time and lost countless lives on all sides. Some things humans can't change, not until we give up believing that prejudice and aggression are the only answers.

Trying to advise our children that might isn't right is the only way forward for humanity.

[godden]

i always say if you want to know some thing ask a teenager

[Hawk]

i always say if you want to know some thing ask a teenager

Like what? The theory of relativity, the name of the president of America, where is Cambodia or where can I buy some drugs?