Generational Knowledge

[HydrogenBond]

There are different types of knowledge. Some is very temporary and subject to change and other types of knowledge are long term and conservative. The type of knowledge has an impact on the type of things that many generations can or can not see eye to eye.

Although not knowledge, music is a good analogy. Most people define the music they like, throughout their life, based on what they like between their teens and twenties. The WWII generation still favors the Big Bands, the baby boomers have their rock and roll. Often when there are gatherings of three or four generations there is little agreement as to what is the best music. This is temporal and therefore not fully transferable between all the generations.

Even science and technology is not always cross generation. Many of the oldest timers want nothing to do with computers. While the youngest wouldn't know what to do without them. Even the art or science of how to raise children, which should be cross generational has been in flux for the past 60 or more years, making it hard for different generations to see eye to eye. There was the traditonal family, the Dr Spock model, etc., and newer fads that the various generations hold to.

It is easy to point out temporal knowledge that changes between generations. Inter-generational knowledge, where all generations seem to agree is a little more rare. One of the few areas where this sometimes occurs is religion. In that respect, it offers a way for generations to communicate on the same page, while allowing the youngest generation to give due respect to wisdom and age. Temporal knowledge does not allow one to see eye-to-eye and often results in the arrogance of cutting edge discounting the wisdom of age.

Science is in a perpetual flux. It is always moving forward but never seems to reach the end. Each generation experiences the new state of the temporal art, only to have it superseded by the next generation. If the older generations don't keep up, the arrogance of youth loses respect for the older generation and often throws out the baby with the bathwater. This is an example of the perpetual short-sightedness of temporary knowledge, i.e, someday this too will be superseded.

[HydrogenBond]

To continue this analysis. The shortest lasting temporal knowledge is called lying. Lies typically don't reach into different generations but tend to dissolve with a single generation. If one attacks lies with logic and cross examination they may not even last a few hours.

The hoax is a longer term lie, that can last much longer. While logically organized but unsubstantiated hoaxes, like conspiracy theories and intrigues, can actually last an entire generation or even longer.

If we go from temporal knowledge, like science, that may change from generation to generation, e.q., the creation of the universe, there are also basic truths of science that last many generations. Like the structure of DNA, E=MC2, etc.. These are beginning to define long term truths that may be eternal.

Between lies and temporal knowledge are things like fads. For example, eating gold fish and sitting on top of flag poles, were cutting edge fads in their day. It created the affect of being one basis for manhood. With the 20/20 hindsight of history, one can see it was hoax all along, since it did not last but a year or so. People are willing to pay good money for good hoaxes. That the nature of an entertainment based culture, i.e, actors are pretenders; lies, hoaxes, intrigues, etc..

Things like global warming is a conspiracy type theory. This past calm hurricane season went contrary to the logical intrigue. I personally like knowledge that is temporal to eternal. That is the basis for good eduction. The range from lie to temporal is entertainment. I use that for laughs.

The time element of knowledge is actually a good litmus test for truth. Don't just look at the logic line, but also consider how long until it is superseded, since hoaxes and conspiracy are like good detective stories with reasonable logic lines.

Anyone who know my opinion about empiricism being second string to logic is based on the short time element of such theories. New things always appear. While these intrigues lead to hoaxes that get people to part with their harm earned money.