Does a community need generational change to progress from one stage of development to another?
After an article about innovation challenges of Poland a friend wrote to me that this country is restricted by the current generation and its beliefs. To take the next step, the country requires generational change.
But is this always the case? Across history, societies have struggled with the tension between preserving tradition and embracing change. The real question is: Does progress always require generational transformation?
The Generational Cycle: Resistance and Rebellion
Every generation seeks to protect its legacy—its values, achievements, and ways of doing things. This is natural. We see endless articles attempting to prove how much better one generation is than the next. Criticism of Generation Z sounds eerily similar to what was once said about my own generation by our parents. And we all quite desperately try to push away new ways of doing things.
At the same time, younger generations tend to rebel against the worldview of their parents and take excessive risks. These risks can lead to failures, but they also drive innovation and change.
This reminds me of Marcus Aurelius’ reflections on life:
...leaves that the wind Drives earthward; such are the generations of men.... And the tree puts forth others to replace them...
Change is inevitable, but must it always be disruptive?
Guiding Rather than Resisting Change
Whether we like it or not, change will happen—and it will be owned by the next generation, not us. Resisting it won’t stop the process.
Europe’s tradition of generational change has often been marked by confrontation, resistance, and revolution. But other societies—such as the tribal nations of North America, the Maasai, and Polynesian cultures—have taken a different approach. Their elders actively guide change rather than resist it.
One might argue that the European model led to global dominance. But the question isn’t about conquest—it’s about sustainability. Societies that guided change rather than resisted it often sustained their cultural identity and social cohesion over centuries.
In the long run resistance to change always fails. The only way to remain relevant is to embrace transformation.
How to Embrace Change as You Age
A generation that clings to the past risks becoming obsolete. But there are ways to adapt:
Adopt the Role of the Wise Elder – Instead of fighting change, guide the younger generation in navigating it. The tribal elders of the past understood this.
Stay Creative – Research suggests that switching fields of expertise can reignite creativity. Reinventing yourself keeps you adaptable.
Avoid Becoming a "Change Blocker" – If you simply keep repeating what worked in the past, you’ll inevitably be left behind. Instead, contribute constructively to the generational shift.
The future will belong to the young, but those who embrace change will always have a place in shaping it.
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References and Notes
Aurelius M. -Meditations.
Well, that sounds as timeless truth. And I belive, that will be a neverending truth and issue. Btw - reading point 1 above - in other words I can understand - that stands for: cultivate right life values, what is crucial despite of time we live in. The other issue - our habbits - once we learn them it is difficult to change them and the later the worse. Thus that results in resistance to most changes. Moreover, how long a person learn in his life? In the general meaning, not learning at school. On the very beginning of our life - extremly much and the later the less untill let's say in some cases till his 30-ty years o…