What Twenty-Somethings Think They Know and What 60-Somethings Really Know

Most people are not deeply invested in knowing what’s true or accurate but rather hold their positions and choose they’re actions based on what they want to believe or how they feel.

Consequently, most of the time people aren’t spending too much time or energy trying to figure out what’s correct.

If you try and convince people that what they want to believe is wrong, you’ll generally make them angry and they will still believe things that are unsupported.

Sometimes it seems that mainly twenty-somethings are sure that they know it all and there isn’t any more to learn. A few years ago, I spent some time on a “christian” community (yeah, I know that’s a “little” c, but that’s another story) in Southwest Georgia ran by some twenty-somethings. Observing them — especially three, Jake, Brendan and Sarah, as well as by using the SWAG method, I have come up with a list of things that too many young people believe — regardless of what age they actually are.

What many twenty-somethings believe are true and aren’t:

I will never get old or when I do, it will be in some far off future that will never come

I can get rich being a skateboard, basketball, videogame, movie star without much effort

School is a waste of time. I want to be out there RIGHT NOW

I have plenty of time

There is a perfect person out there somewhere looking for me

My parents are clueless about everything in this brave, new world

My generation will master every problem

Somehow the money will come, I don’t need a plan

The oldsters destroyed the world for me

There is no god/there is only my god

Love and sex are virtually interchangeable

Bad things like cocaine, alcohol, gambling addictions, etc always happen to the other guy

I am invincible

My mad driving skills will keep me from getting in an auto/motorcycle accident

I had a tough teen life so the world owes me something and better pay up soon

What I’ve Learned and I’m 60

Truth is, after six decades, I can tell you this with absolute certainty: If your mind works, and you know how to think, you’ll find that the older you get, and the more you learn, the less you really know. You eventually discover just how little you actually know about anything.

Here’s some random observations I’ve made…

People are often not what they seem to be.

You are not viewed by others as you view yourself…there is always a difference.

The past IS relevant. Learn history, and dig deep.

Black and white truths are very, very rare.

Your truth is not always another man’s. Your way is not the only way.

Good guys may often finish last…but they sleep well.

Be practical, skeptical and ask questions (especially about assumptions), but never lose faith in ‘magic’

Your parent’s generation isn’t to blame… you’re just about to start figuring out why.

Your parents are cooler than you think. You have no idea what they got up to back in the day…

Its actually good to be proud of who and what you are, and where you came from, warts and all. But, give others their due as well…everybody has a right to some pride.

‘You’ are not always right and ‘they’ are not always wrong.

Tomorrow and later never come, then it’s too late.

Jerry Nelson is a freelance photojournalist. From America, he’s busy on assignment in South America, but is always interested in discussing future work opportunities. Contact him at jandrewnelson2@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter.