In traditional societies like that of India, old people are accorded a lot of respect. Is this well-deserved or a relic from the past? I believe the 'tradition' of respecting one's elders is a relic from a time in our past when society was essentially agrarian. If you think of how such a society functions, skills are handed from generation to generation — farmers' kids grow up to become farmers and carpenters' kids grow up to become carpenters, and so on . . . In such a society, kids acquire their 'professional' skills from their fathers . . . so, obviously they need to 'respect' their elders as the elders are the ones with the 'knowledge.' In the modern world, kids acquire their life skills in schools and colleges and make of their lives whatever they wish to by learning the necessary skills. As far as the color of the hair goes, scientists can tell you about the technical reasons behind hair turning gray. Black hair is black because of the ...
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