Should age and experience be valued over youth? Why?

Question

Lim Yu-Beng will next be seen as the sadistic Dentist in "Little Shop of Horrors", book and lyrics by Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken. Also starring Dim Sum Dollies. Directed by Glen Goei. Opens 2 Nov, Victoria Theatre. Tickets from Sistic now! http://www.sistic.com.sg/cms/events/index.html?content=461

Answer 1

I know from the list that you have had plenty of answers to this question already. But, something happened to me this week that gives me reason to respond as well.

I am a senior citizen and have a "few" years experience in life, but I found myself in a situation which caused emotional pain due to an unpleasant memory from the past. It was a young man who had the wisdom I needed to see things which I could not see.

I believe if we are teachable, the age of the person from whom we are able to learn is not a factor. We should value each person, no matter their age. If our eyes and ears are open to them, we senior aged and life experienced adults can even learn from little children.

Answer 2

Of course age and experience should be valued over youth, in most cases that is. Why do I say that? Anybody, be it an actor, sales person, businessman etc would have gathered a whole wealth of experience that comes with time. There are tons of things out there that text books don't and can't teach. You go through what I'd call the school of hard-knocks, learning what works and what doesn't and along those years, experiencing the joys of success and the pain of failure. You sharpen skills or your craft and that ultimately makes you better at what you do as compared to a newbie.

Of course that being said, I'm not against newbies either. The education system has evolved over the years, with subjects and topics being revamped so students get to learn more and with better content. Where age and experience has the advantage? Well, I guess we old birds actually see and experience things that newbies read about in books.

Answer 3

Hi Yu beng,

From the way society is going, it's either you are very experienced or you are very young, you are more likely to be employed than those people in between.

If i'm an employer, i will choose a person who have a great deal of experience who can help me with my buisness. If not, i will like to choose young souls who have the energy and drive, and i would like to see what he can come up with.

An average experienced employee who have some ideas on how things work, even to an extend of workflow. In this case, 50% of his creativity is limited to what he already knows, which means less likely he will have ideas contributing due to his stereotype of workflow or past training. This is exactly the facade which is blinding some employers these days.

Hence, age and experience should not be the only factor determining a person's capability.

We have seen both very experienced people and young ones succeeding, as well as those who just have some experience. Well, we pretty sure have seen these 3 categories of souls struggling to find jobs. What does it mean? Simply means determination, hard work, attitude, and sometime, abit of luck plays a part.

All the best guys!

Answer 4

Does age and experience always tie together? What about youth and inexperience? Stereotype or assumption? No one can guarantee a matured and experienced person makes no mistakes. Similarly, a younger person with no experience may also excel. Life examples are everywhere around us, young talents, young sportsperson, young entrepreneurs...(well, perhaps some learned from those with more experience while others, unless of course if you prefer to call them genius, are simply young and talented)



Naturally, all of us will grow old one day, we all want to be a useful person. Age and experience does hold a significant value and shouldn't be neglected.



The perfect combination would be youth + experience! So for those already in the "age" category, keeping a young and positive mentality is definitely a plus point! That way you'll become young at heart too!



Final tot: Experience that comes with age doesn't necessarily score advantages; Being young can also compromise experience with other strengths such as energy, youth, greater flexibility and adaptability.



Cheers

Answer 5

I think it is a question of how these two entities are related and not why they should be valued over youth. The first most important thing that needs to be addressed is the value of these qualities. "Age" is not age per se. I am sure we have heard the usual "It is just a number" sentence more than the number of times that make our age. Thus, the entity age is just a numeral. We have created it. Creationism theory thus not only brings Essentialism into play but the whole idea and theory that we merely create things as they are. Some would say that the existence of God is in itself a creation of man. However, let's leave that our for another topic. Anyway, it's just an example. Next, we have "Experience". How do you measure the extent at which you can or cannot experience something? Can we return to how social-cognitive behaviorists like Albert Bandura once proposed that the environment and how we react to the environment in terms of behavior and vice versa affect who we are and what we know? These are observable characteristics. Behavior is observable. But the extent to which it can give us "experience" is cognitive. Its all in the mind. Once again, I would boil this down to the Creationism theory whereby we merely create things as they are. Not disregarding the fact that we may often think our thoughts are independent of environmental, cultural and religious influences.In fact, they are. We cannot be Reductionists today. Because we are not running away from Hitler anymore (thankfully), let's all understand that there is more to this life about "Age", "Experience" and "Youth" than we think. Sure, these are all terms that we often create to console ourselves of our existence. But more often than not, we realise it doesn't mean anything. That it doesn't make any sense. Have you ever asked yourself why you need to find the meaning to what "Youth" means?No. We just merely go find the meaning. In fact, it does not have any meaning. We are what we are. There was this vivid book that I was reading recently by Joseph Conrad entited Heart of Darkness and let me tell you what it has taught me : "it is impossible to convey the life-sensation of any given epoch's of one's existence - that which makes its truth,its meaning - its subtle penetrating essence... We live, as we dream - alone". Remember how when someone asked you :"Hey, Max,how are you feeling today?" and you just couldnt think of a proper term to answer so you just gave in to yourself and just said.."I am happy". How does happy define how you actually feel? It can't. It perhaps becomes a consolation to your existence. Sometimes, we just need to embrace and appreciate what we are for what we are. If we know what we are, that is. Will we ever? You decide.

Answer 6

This is a mixed yes and no answer, a la "grey area". Yu-Beng himself in his youth was a "little monster" of sorts, frizzy-haired (the hair thing is moot now :-)) and bespectacled (the big, black plastic-framed kind) and terrorising everyone in WMC (you'll have to ask Yu-Beng what those initials mean :-)) with karate chops (of which I also fell victim then :-)). I am glad that his youthful energy then was channelled well into the person he is today. Age and experience is only valued over youth only if the experiences that have been gained over time with the lessons learnt and understood. If not, there is really no value at all.

Answer 7

Hi Yu Beng :)



I guess there's a reason why we're all still looking back at history...and learning from them... the older we are, the more life episodes have already unfold... I believe the ppl in 30's will look at the ppl in their 20's and say - been there, gone through that, you'll survive... the 40's will say the same to the 30's...



My straight answer will be yes.



When I have gone through the life stages, I was like...wow... I know better now.



I dun believe it's tough to teach old dogs new tricks, it's jus an issue of letting down the pride. Young punks can be stubborn and wanting our own say to be valued.



Regardless of age, everyone is learning new things.



A new graduate vs 1st year in grad school.

A father vs a grandfather



Anyways, to me age and experience comes in 1st place... a higher price, as we've paid our dues through the stages.

Answer 8

Age and experience play a pivotal role in humanity in terms of working and leading a full life.



Based on the 80/20 principle, many are steadfast in their stance in believing that 80% of the job can be learnt in 20% of the time and the remaining 20% of the job can only be supplemented slowly with age and experience.



Based loosely on such believes, it is then casted upon that many are believing that youth and the relative "cheaper" cost of usage may suffice the lost of say 10% job knowledge. As compared to a older and much experienced staff at 90% job knowledge.



However with job knowledge comes performance, which summed forms efficiency.



An older worker is less a performer and thus with the summations, people still have the general believe that younger chap will outperform the older gun.

Answer 9

I feel that age doesn't necessary means experience. Just because someone has lived more years doesn't mean that he or she has learnt more, lived more and experienced more.



Perhaps I am young, but I feel that sometimes ageism can be quite a sin, because it has led to people valuing essentially just a older person over a younger but equally if not more experienced person. Just an example, I have a good friend who is an excellent trainer, has all the skills and traits of a solid performer, has local and regional experience, and has a track record that beats those twice his age. However, when he attends interviews, he found out that most interviewers are intimidated by his experience.



To be young is to be able to take possiblities, try them, tease and test, success and fail, to have a world of possiblities. I woudn't go so far to say that younger is better, but sometimes, if you looked around, it is the young who are advancing our civilization sometimes, imbuing our hopes and dreams with enough reckless to innovate.



Let us not ever choose someone older just because well, he's older. May the better player win. The young need their chance with lady luck too.

Answer 10

It's a yes and no question. There's no right or wrong. As people age, they gain experience none of the youngsters would have. They learn how to accept, tolerate and to love. In work wise, they learn how to handle customers, how to be strict and handle relationships between collegues. What to do at the right time and what to say. Sad to say is when a person grows old, so does the illness and problems. That is when youth are more valued. And youth are able to work harder, generally speaking. Those youths without family committments are able to clock more hours for companies, be more productive and more creative. Not saying older people are not creative, but they lack the boldness and are more traditional.

This is just my point of view...both are valued...

Answer 11

I feel that experience counts and not age (how old or young one is). Whether it is teaching, a managerial position or whatever, experience is key. What is the good of having youth and good looks (for entertainment) when the person lacks experience and talent? Therefore, I feel age should not be a deciding factor. Although experience comes with age, it may not always be true for some. We gain experience through the circumstances and the situations we've been through in life.



That said, we should also give youths a chance. There are many young talented people out there waiting to be discovered. It's just a question of opportunity for these young people. Therefore, one should not be too quick to dismiss or set aside a youth just because he/she lacks experience. If we never give them chance, we will never know how capable they are.



In light of all that has been said, it is most important that we choose the person because of their experience or a distinctive quality about them, not just their age and looks.

Answer 12

It all depends on the situation where it is being implemented or used. Some people may be old but they are physically young, energetic and follows trend and are flexible, whereas experience may or may not be useful at all to the time. eg. Chinese has a saying "I had salt more than you had taken rice" which is not so good a formula planted in the brain. The best is an ever youthful mentality that is flexible, learning and rejuvenating all the time.

At the end of the day, everything depends on circumstances and there is no dead formula for our mysteriously wonderful living BEING.

Answer 13

Well what makes a person to be useful in this society.

Giving Chances, Changing Obselete Mindset and Better Upbringing.



Having youth and senior generation mixed together can make a organisation look balance and resourceful. You watch soccer, you will know.



Below is some how not really- related, but it is based on my encounter.

where I was gonna ORD and went for an engineerring interview as an entry level. The interviewer is a female (surprisingly 2 years younger than me, pls no flame war against females), she ask me a lot of technical questions, I had hard time answering them (probably was not prepared, I was 2 years away from that technology). Since most of singaporean guys needs to spend 2 years of NS, most of them having mental blocks and cross-roads knowing lan-lan have to serve. Come On, Give us a Break.

Answer 14

Hi Yu-Beng,



It's one of those intriguing ques .... Age v Youth; Male v Female; and the list goes on.



Fundamentally, it depends on the situation. I am tempted to skew towards age and experience most of the time. (Having seen both now that I am not so youthful any more).



I can categorize it another way ... In physical and endurance pursuits, youth will prevail. For things more cerebral and strategic ... it's got to be experience.

Let me qualify that senility cancels out any earned experience !!



There is also what I call a "peak" where the 2 circles of experience and youth cross. That window, I guess is the ultimate.

Answer 15

There seems to be some stereotype in someone who is young but in a leadership position. People often assume the young leader not to be as competent as someone who is older despite the competency level of the young leader.



In my opinion, age is not the main factor when assigning an important task or seeking opinions. My team members are 12 and 14 years older than me, but they do not seem to have the calibre in making sound decisions or handling tasks. Simply, because they do not have the experience or capability in handling the tasks. However, they cannot accept the fact that a younger person is hired to be their team leader.



Being older doesnt mean the person has more experience. Everyone deserves to be heard. THerefore there shouldnt be any difference in respect given to the person regardless of age. Younger folks may have been through more than the elder ones.



In conclusion, being young doesnt mean not having the capability to handle big things. We should change our stereotyping "glasses" and views towards the youngsters.

Answer 16

Yu_beng,



This question raises even more questions. Age & experience in what field? Presumably the arts? Acting? Well even in acting, you have some many types of acting, stage, tv, movies etc and each requiring a certain image. The fact is that if you want to be a James Bond it does no good to look like Sean Connery now and asking Sophia Lorianne to act as a sexy bomb shell would scare the B-Jesus out of most of us!? Fact is that image in acting and for that matter in life is everything. That said, Sean Connery is an excellent example of longevity in his field. His honest portrayal of his roles has earned him awards and much respect from fellow actors.



All of us grow old one day so there is something to be said about the young learning from those who survived long enough to claiming to have experience but being older does not mean u know everything, and creativity and wisdom is not the sole monopoly of the experienced.

Answer 17

I strongly believe that a young one can be as experience as someone of age. An individual can gain experiences through many exposures. People come from all walks of life, different background, different lifestyles and different characters. Hence, the kind and degree of exposures will be different for every individual. The degree of exposures help to acummulate experiences.



It is true that experiences are acculmulated through the years but we can't deny the fact that the youth are as capable too. In fact, young people are very creative. All they need are chances to perform and polish themselves.



Instead of having the frame of mind that an older person has more experience, we should live out of the box, giving ourselves a chance to look at the creative world of the youth. So should age and experience be valued over youth still goes by a case by case basis.

Answer 18

Each has its own strengths and challenges. Experience lies not in how long we are in a certain field but what we learn and apply. If the youth do not learn there is no point to value it over the former. Likewise if the age and experience do not humble and learn, it too should not vice versa. It will also depends on the physical aspects at times but nothing can replace the power of the mind, passion and willpower.

Answer 19

This is now a question for a page long complicated answer. But I will keep it short. You cannot value one above the other, as both have their own value and purpose. Different time and situations call for different values. It would however be nice to have both, but you can't and should enjoy the one you have at present, and you can age, and gaining experience while you maintain the youth in you by staying young at heart. The two go hand in hand and should be maintained as a unit for as long as you live.

Answer 20

1)I prefer to stop 'shoulding' people. Youth has its merits too, but I'm not about here to discuss this.



2)Wisdom is an attitude with a behavior that matches it. Attitudes are transformed (not instantly changed) over time, character is a decision to act upon wisdom that may require an action of holding back something, since in our culture, many are prone to 'acting out' all things, at all times, in all places. Does youth think this way? Or have many aged and 'experienced' men and women become jaded?

Answer 21

NO! Never.



Experience makes vision clearer and surer, therefore. It makes for wiser choice. It also allows for calm.



But it never replaces youth for its willingness to do something just to see what happens.



Youth creates possibilities. It makes learning much more possible. Youth also makes the simple and less important possible. Energy and innocence creates opportunities that come with experiment and willingness to try.



Therefore, Youth begets experience. Experience overcomes adversities. Adversities builds character. The road is clear. One step at a time. Use each moment as if its the last. You never know when the road ends. Or where it will lead to...

Answer 22

What is age.... just a number. Age comes with experience & wisdom and youth comes with energy, vibrancy & creativity. I believe that having a positive, right attitude, willing to learn & change with the times is crucial irregardless of age. There should always be a balance. The old can teach the youth alot & vice versa. The older generation are more cautions in their thoughts and actions, not that this is bad but in today's globalisation, one must quick to react to changes. The youth today is impatient & quick to react. Both the old & the young need to work together to be able to benefit the nation, organisation & themselves. What makes a nation, is its people irregardless of race, age, language or gender.....



RF

Answer 23

No, if we accept the premise that our society is based on meritocracy - if a middle-age or elderly person is good in what he does - he need not have to apply for a job or queue for an walk-in audition.



After 20 or 30 years in the business - he should have acquired a certain track record where jobs search for him instead of having to go out there to compete with the teenagers or fresh graduates.



However, all the above are invalid if you think that meritocracy is merely a sham for the elites to justify their exalted positions.

Answer 24

Age & experience over youth? No hard feelings for the elders but I don't believe in living life according to experience. Experience serves as a lesson for us but experience does not mean that we shut off our minds to concepts & opinions of the youths. The world is changing rapidly every moment. Retrenchment is so common nowadays & there is no more such thing as a stable job. Technology is changing, our educational systems are changing. Even a degree can't guarantee us a satisfying job.If we shut off our minds to the concepts & opinions of the young ones, we will lose our survival abilities in no time.



If we live life according to experience, we won't be able to improve ourselves & achieve higher standards in our lives because we won't be able to accept change & we will only believe what we have seen from our experience. Of course, there are valuable lessons that we can learn from experience but we must ask ourselves if the lesson we have learned is still applicable in the society nowadays. This is why we are seeing more & more young people are turning to entrepuenership because we have seen our older generation ending up in a life of debts because they still believe in working hard for an employee, then buy a house,buy a car. Whereas most companies nowadays are underpaying us due to competition from foreign talents & most companies retrench us when they meet with financial problems.



Experience over youth? I say it is wrong. Only if we can apply our experience together with the concepts & thinking of the youth.

Answer 25

Hi,



I am Nicky Teo Chin Li, Managing Director of Funeral Solutions Pte Ltd.



Co. Reg No : 200613516W



I am 18 years old this year.



In my line of trade,

although i am a youth, and in this olden age of mine,

i am often at a losing end.



WHY?



Customers, suppliers and seniors they often look down on me thinking that i am not at a "matured" age and not experienced enough.



I am really familliar with the funeral trade and thats

why i came out to do this business myself.



However,

Age problem has cause me a great disadvantage, although selling the same products and with the same(or even better) method as my competeitiors.



This is really a very sad thing.

Answer 26

Perhaps the question is one of should age and experience be valued, of which the answer is definitely yes.



Should youth be valued, definitely yes.



Should age and experience be valued over youth, or youth over age and experience, both of which no.



At the crux of the matter, is not one of either or, but about where to position an experienced staff, and where to position a young raw staff.



Just as few of us would ever need to decide between using a spoon or a fork to eat, it depends on what we are eating. At times one is clearly better than the other, because a fork can replace a spoon in certain situations e.g. eating baked beans, and a spoon replace a fork in some situations e.g. eating fishballs. BUT you can't expect one to drink soup with a fork, nor eat noodles with a spoon. One shouldn't be forced to decide between age and experience over youth.



The successful manager is one who is able to utilise experience and youth in their appropriate place, and to harness their respective abilities well. In understanding the strength and weakness of experience of youth, the manager will then be able to leverage it well. Of course, just as in the example of the fork and spoon, many times, best results are achieved, when the user (manager) is able to utilise both together, so that the shortfall of one is compensated by the strength of the other.

Answer 27

It depends on which context the question is based on. Innovative and creative thinking is always seeked for in any business opportunities, arts or media. Each individual has his/her own unique experience in life at any age. I believe anyone, young or old, can contribute at any point in one's life.For example, in Europe more older people are employed for their experience and maturity. I was surprised to watch very matured TV hosts in Europe. One guy was at least 70 years old. Fighter pilots are trained between the ages of 18 to 20 for their precision and risk taking. Words of wisdom can still be heard from a three-year old. I see pre-conceived ideas as 'bad weeds' growing around tulip bulbs. "You gotta pull them out, to let your beautiful tulips grow, Man!" Yu-Beng you are one of the best actors so far. You are hollywood-material, Man! I hope you would host the next Singapore Idol. We need a fresh new face. You have made your dreams a reality. Here's wishing you more dreams!

Answer 28

Before attempting to answer this, i think Mr Lim is assuming that youth, and age and experience are mutually exclusive entities, a common perception among most.

But I would beg to differ. Yes, I agree that with age and experience comes a certain wisdom and foresight. Yet there are countless real life examples of old people who act foolishly, and young people who act wisely and maturely. Take our dear MM for example. He became the prime minister of a near basket case of an island state while in his 30s, yet from then on went on to lay the foundations of good governance and the prosperous, peaceful society we enjoy today. To possess the vitality of youth, yet act in wisdom and foresight is, i think, not as far-fetched or mutually exclusive as this question seems to suggest.

Answer 29

Hi Yu-Beng



Saw u at the zoo two weeks back.



Anyway, age and maturity does matter. It is useless to catergorise the youth and the mature ones together coz in terms of experience, the elder or mature ones matter. Like me, I have years of experience in my speciality but pool of young grads are out there to be employed, earning the salary that I used to earn. I am paper qualified and much more experience but sadly I lost my old pay and got a new pay that is equivalent to the fresh grads. I dont think this is fair. I think people should be judged not just by their looks and papers, but their maturity and experience as well.



Do ponder.

Answer 30

With age, comes wisdom. I have the utmost respect for people with experience. They are like walking encyclopedias. However, the more important skill one must pair with their experience is the ability to learn and unlearn. The world is changing rapidly. That is the only thing that youth wins over the experienced. Most of the time the experienced are set in their ways and refused to accept the changes.



In my opinion, both veterans and youth should work hand in hand.

Answer 31

There is actually no correct answer for this question. It fully depends on ones character & capability. Someone who is a little more elderly not necessary means someone wise. Someone youthful doesnt always means someone with drive. However, in the "real world",in sg for instance, if you are of a certain age, or should I say reach "old age", finding a source to buy butter or bread will be ....... Nasty? Yes, but the world aint fair & will nvr be fair so live with it.

Answer 32

I think it depends on which level we r looking at. If we r looking at the entertainment showbiz, this would b overuled. If we r talking abt the essence of life, wisdom, etc, then age n xperience would really come in handy.

There is never an absolute answer 2 everything. There r always 2 sides in a coin. 1 man's meat can b another man's poison.

Answer 33

i think it depends a lot on what you do. some industries require constant injection of new blood, for example, creative teams in advertising firms or new faces on TV - no one wants to see fann/zoe forever.



but if you are talking about behind the scenes, experience and age does count when skillset and emotional quotient comes into place. a matured worker would be rational and emotionally more stable, hence better in handling objections and disagreements in the team. they would also be able to command the respect of their co-workers given their expertise.



youth can be used as a stepping stone to somewhere.. but at the end of the day, it is experience and the delivery that really matters.

Answer 34

Being young is of course good as it means that you are able to take your time to see, learn and experience life.

But if you look around you, most people look to their seniors for advice when met with a difficulty, be it at work, at play or at home.

The older a person gets usually means that he is more experienced or able to provide a different and sometimes wiser perspective of things as compared to a younger person, who may tend to get over-enthusiastic and less patient.

So I feel that age and experience certainly should be valued over youth. Being young and ignorant does have its pros as well but personally I do not agree with ignorance is bliss, I would prefer to seek wisdom.

Answer 35

Definately. Experience is something that money cannot buy. It is something you gained with the time you invest in. Detractors may argue that youth are valuable since they are full of energy and the drive for everything. However, youth without experience somehow lack the skills. Mistakes may be made. Someone with an older age doen't mean that his capabilities are compromised. Experience is something that is indeed crucial and should be valued.

Answer 36

The answer is yes. I say yes because youth is the process of learning. When we were youth, we learned good and bad exprienced. When we grow older, our mentality grew older and wiser. We can tell the different what is good and waht is bad in the society. When we we younger we intend to do mistake. When we grew older we try to avoid or improve our mistake. That why we should valued our older age because we can think wiser and more exprienced than the youth. As what stated in Malay Proverbs "Sudah lama makan garam" means we taste the difficulty and hardship compared from the young.

Answer 37

Hey bro

books are made from past experiences

without the past there won,t be today

senior minister,minister mentor are some examples

of valuable experiences in appreciation of to lead the younger

ones.

To a certain limited extend sometimes special youngs

the ones they called genius are appraise and follow by the older generations

Answer 38

The answer is positive. Most of the experts I have contacted in my area of business are not of my age. They are 20 to 30 years older than me. You bet their knowleadge is what I am after. haha! Yes. Is my answer yu beng and I was at the preview of your recent local production - Singapore Dream. Well done!

Answer 39

i think it depends on the job or task in question. if it's a palimentary job, you wouldnt want a 25 year old minister would you? you want someone that has years of experience under his/her belt. but in some instances, youth is more valued than experience and the older folks lose out.



i know it sounds extremely idealistic (a guy can dream cant he?) but i think that both should be weighed and taken into account. both have their merits and the person making the choice would have to see which one outweighs the other.



it's a tough call, but then that's life.

Answer 40

No, age and experience should not be valued over youth, but neither should youth be valued over age and experience.



The energy and spontaneity of the young ones are needed for new ideas and bring about change. However, without proper guidance and direction from someone with experience, things will certainly go wrong.



A company can neither comprise of only young people nor just the experienced ones. They are complements to each other.

Answer 41

It depends on the field that a person is in. A doctor, especially a specialist, naturally commands more consultation fee than a junior doctor because our health matters. A criminal lawyer ultimately doesn't stand on merely an Ally McBeal personality but the years of experience he has had in handling court cases.



A classic example of ageism dominates in the entertainment industry. If a person is banking in on his/her looks and youth in the entertainment industry, that person feels pressurized to look youthful all the time because there's really no limit to the vicious attacks launched by entertainment news reporters. Unfortunately for me and fortunately for you, more vicious gossip news are centred on the females rather than the males.



Then again, ageism is quite commonly practised in many fields nowadays.



You'd be surprised by this; even in the teaching field, ageism exists! Many school principals prefer someone younger because that person is assumed to be more energetic and IT savvy. Besides, a younger person is assumed to have fewer family commitments as compared to a senior colleague. Heads of departments and school principals used to be revered because they knew the education system really well after years of seniority in the school. It's unfortunate that even schools aren't spared the vicious treatment of ageism because it's really common to have heads of departments to be in their late 20s and principals in their 30s nowadays.



Besides, it is an obvious yet unspoken fact that older bank employees take pains to go for dye and re-dyeing hair treatments to keep up with their younger colleagues. Banks are no longer projecting a sturdy, dependable image to their clients. These days, it's all about vibrancy and efficiency.



We should really drop everything that we are doing right now and re-evaluate where we are truly headed. If we place so much emphasis on youth and looks at work, aren't we no different from computers and machinery? A constant 'upgrade' is necessary otherwise we'd be obsolete? I wonder if I'm a MS Word 1995 or a MS Word XP!

Answer 42

Well first of all, if you were a manager of your own company, and employed someone who just had the looks and youth and nothing else, how do you think your company will fare? Age comes with experience. Schooling, college, knowledge, wisdom, and then go out there and work, to attain the experience and still have the youth.

Answer 43

This is a tough question. On one hand, you've got age and experience and on the other you've got youth. Experience doesn't necessarily equate wisdom, knowledge or even personal growth. Youth doesn't necessarily equal to naivety. I think when deciding on what to value more, you should look at the kinds of experiences age has had and if the youth can handle what it's ask of.

Answer 44

we should valued age and experience over youth because older people have more experience,they are more responsibility and mature.on the other side some of the youth also have responsibility but they don't have that enough experiences being as older people.for example if we going to apply a job for the position as a head baker they will always hire the person who have more experience than the youth eventhough he is good baker they will always valued the experience and age for any kinds of position.

Answer 45

You can't put a value over both. In other words, they cannot be compared against each other, nor in isolation. Sometimes, our circumstances entail that age and experience are needed for the moment, sometimes youth. Scientifically, it is a matter of demand and supply. There are strengths to being a youth, and likewise, there are strengths to being experienced (or old, if you please). Either way, they are priceless assets in their own right and it is up to us - if there is any of it in us - to use them to the best of our potential. And it is the situation and circumstances surrounding us that allows us to show that we have them.



I have no lucid answer and I can only take on a rhetoric view by asking: Can one age without youth? Can youth mean anything without age? Can our experiences exist to be valued without age or youth? For the sake of all, I hope the answer for all is YES, age and experience can be valued over youth, and YES, youth too can be valued over age and experience.

Answer 46

I believe it all depends on what kind of role is to be filled when this question comes into play.



With youth comes creativity, boldness and a fresh mind/perspective.



Age & experience brings forth wisdom, stability and richness of knowledge.



Essentially, youth is a process / stage to which age & experience are gained, nobody gains age & experience without going thru youth.

Answer 47

It's like needing the confidence of having an old experience Captain at the helms and strong young sailors mending the ropes in a storm.

Answer 48

Of course, Dude! Generally, knowledge and experience are gained as a person ages. Come on! Nowadays one can get the face one desires by plastic surgery but the knowledge and experience that a person possess depends on what he/she aims to acquire and that is something that truly belongs to that individual and will stay with that person. Ultimately, it is a person's experience of life that can help him/her thru life and just by being good looking doesn't get a maths problems solved.

Answer 49

Why must age and experience be tied together? Some people can live for many years and still be completely inexperienced. I say age is of no consequence, it is the experience that counts. If the experience comes with age, so be it, but it is unfair to assume that young people are completely inexperienced.

Answer 50

no doubt age & experience counts in most industries these days, green horns may stand to lack that advantage, but potential is abundant, and if in the right hands, under the right guidance... much can be achieved. it all boils down to the individuals willingness to learn. to soak up the invaluable experiences that's omnipresent, and to apply the skills/knowledge they've acquired in the process of learning.



I personally wouldn't totally agree with the disillussion/stereotype that age+experience be valued over youth, for as much the current times has to offer, we're blessed with many young undiscovered young prodigy.



otherwise, there wouldnt be so much hype & bustle for competitions to discover raw talents. i.e.: idol competitions, superstar, next designer, next super model, apprentice reality game shows.

Answer 51

Youth is a chronological state. Age is too, but combined with experience, it indicates a history that has developed because of the good use of time. Therefore, it should definitely be valued over youth.

Answer 52

Ability should be valued over age and experience. No doubt age and experience is extremely valuable, but even more important is the ability to bring this age and experience into a new and constantly changing world, which is unfortunately, very seldom the case.

Answer 53

Explicit and tacit knowledge is the most valuable knowledge in life.

And those two things comes with age. Which a youth would be lacking.



So yah, an old person in the family is like a treasure, rare and valuable.

Answer 54

Yes. They who have come before us, always know the way. For they have been us, but we are yet to be them. To say that youth is more valued to age or experience is to demonstrate the infancy and ignorance of our early adulthood. An adulthood that mimics Greatness in the face of true Greatness which is lined with the age of humility and respect for those who have yet to tread the path of learning.

Answer 55

I think they both have are important, experience act as teachers to the youths who represent the future and future teachers.



If u look at it based on practicality of skills and expertise experienced individuals are usually better due to their knowledge accumulated. While youths represent a changing generation and may provide newer ideas and solutions.



Sometimes u cant rely on experience coz by stubbornly trying to link things to the past, some may not recognise the fact that ties have changed.



And its cheaper to hire young grads and handing out golden handshakes.

Answer 56

Hi,



First of all, i would like to say that age not equal to experience. We cannot judge a person over his/her age. Some young people, all though they are inexperience, but they do have the spirit/will to make thing happen. I think this is what most important.

Answer 57

Definitely Age and Experience over youth. But more important is ACTING SKILLS over LOOKS.



I'm just so sick of seeing Mediacorp and other talent agencies like Fly Entertainment giving out contracts to people just because they are gorgeous. Nevermind they can't act. As long as you look gorgeous, Mediacorp will groom you and pay you fat paychecks. And it doesn't matter if after years of acting classes you still can't act because mediacorp will groom you to become a host in some food variety show where you just have to act cute.



Hence, Mediacorp or Talent scouts DO NOT look for acting talent at acting schools anymore. They go to BEAUTY PAGEANTS to look for actors and actresses. Which results in so many models TURNED actors. Who can't act. If the said model really has passion for acting. He/she would sign up for an acting class long before getting "talent -spotted".



And just to point out. I AM goodlooking. I'm just not as outstandingly gorgeous or either I don't look nice on T.V , as seen in my audition tapes.



I'm just really sick of seeing models/Project Superstar/Singapore Idol contestants suddenly appearing as lead roles in films/drama series. This is SICK. Seriously.

Answer 58

Yes to a certain extent but, the glory of the youth is in their strength and stamina. Age brings with it experience to survive in the world. The older ones have the experience and tenacity to withstand pressure as they have 'been there, done it'. They are not as easily discouraged by setbacks but unlike the youths, they are not as flexible.



(Like what Bumble Bee said - some older staff are not open to new ideas and new concepts)..Youths are flexible and quick to adapt to the latest trends more than the old - some who are very very rigid. They are more creative and innovative but however, the older ones have an edge over them in terms of management skills or even handling their personal lives and family. They are more practical and for instance, more wise in personal financial budgeting than youths.



In the entertainment showbiz, I'll cring whenever I see young new actors and actresses acting out roles on the telly coz...they really lack the ability to be natural in their roles and tend to be either too stiff or one-dimensional = think of the latest MediaCorp actors and actresses or even one-dimensional 'stars' like Nicholas Tse or HK's Twins or Taiwanese prettyboys and girls of today's idol dramas. It seems that nowadays, entertainment bigwigs favor pretty faces more than consummate actors of real quality - which is a big dismay.



The older faces with age and experience are much better actors inspite some with the shortage of great looks: think of Jackie Chan, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino or Tom Hanks; Anthony Wong, Zoe Tay or Xia Shaoguang. They are who I will deem as actors of real calibre.



The sad truth is only a few young actors today are brilliant eg. Daniel Wu (young but versatile HK actor in my opinion and better than the other young HK 'stars'), Christian Bale (Batman Begins, Shaft. Psycho), Charlize Theron or Edward Norton (Italian Job, Ameriacn X History). And this is not only confined to the entertainment world but to the society outside now where youth is valued over experience. It's always ironic to see some companies advertising in career adverts that they want young applicants with paper qualifications and yet also have years of experience. E.g. a degree holder with 3 to 5 years of experience. Which brings me to think how much experience do a young fresh grad get? I mean, he or she must have been spending their ealry years full-time mugging for a degree and when they are out looking for a job after graduation, they are told they need at least 3 years working experience to get into the job. It sounds all daft to me. Or are these companies daft?



In short, youth is good but you need experience too. As like one earlier comment to this question, grow older but retain the strength and stamina of a youth. The key is to being balanced individually and fostering mutual respect between the youths and the older generation esp in the workforce: never diminish the advice of the older ones but never belittle the ideas of the youths which are really gems at times.

Answer 59

Nowadays, No! Because of cost, you can get cheaper and more value to train a youth rather than employing an experience and old chap to do a job. Youths are much more willing to listen and learn because they lack the experience, whereas the old chap just like "never teach an old dog to do new trick".

Answer 60

Experience comes with age.Wisdom is gained through experience.Youth is also valued as an important element in our society.The old and the young, both are indespinsable.



But, if we want to secure our world from errors,we need more experience which come from years of learning.

Answer 61

Well, is this an advertisement or a question? Age and experience would be a good choice, but if one is seeking for magnanimity, it would be best to give the youth a shot at proving their value.

Answer 62

All aged & experienced people once had their youth. Youth passes by fast before we knew it. All youths will age eventually. And I believe they wanted to be valued when they gained age & experience.



Defintely, age & experience should be valued over youth. Without it, the youth have no subject to learn from & someone to look up to. Be in career life, family life life, love life etc.

Answer 63

i guess this depends on which field of work one is talking about. I guess in stage performances experience is an important factor because it is the difference between enthralling audiences and making audiences laugh at the stage performer's mistakes.



however, i do believe that some exuberance of youth is needed in stage performances too, it balances up the yin and the yang of the show.

Answer 64

The answer is no, youth should be more valued, age does not equal experience ..... you only have to look at the Singapore government to see the truth in that statement.



Ohhhh, someone didn't like my answer and gave me a thumbs down. Meanwhile one is left to wonder if a position in the government will become herediary , just like the prime minister's position, if so its even more reason to value the young eh!.

Answer 65

Age or experience?



It depends. Sometimes youth without much experience does not carry the 'baggage' of experience and can launch ahead much faster. At times, you need experience to move into the next leap.

Answer 66

Yes! Youth have zest, energy, motivation and drive!

All that is used to gain experience.... and with experience they mature. With maturity value is added to once what is youth.



Anyway, youth again is a matter of perspective! A 64 is treated as youthful to an octenarian.

Answer 67

At 32,I'd say yes, for they are the main factors contributing to my pay increments and social status, and my charm towards the ladies.



But then again,when I reached 70 (if I managed to live that long) I'll most probably favour the latter.

Answer 68

Stop lying to yourself.. old folks. Move ur **** off. The younger generation is raising up. Stop sitting there and come out with excuses abt experience/s. In this dynamic world, you need to be fresh and powerful. So many oldies just sits and bragged abt their experience and past glory.

Answer 69

It will be best to have the best of both worlds: the maturity, worldliness and sensibility that comes with age and maturity, coupled with the energy, enthusiasm and vitality of youth. Essentially, to grow old but to still remain young at heart!

Answer 70

The key deciding factor is experience. In any situation, experience is essential in order to execute the required task successfully.



Whether it is age or youth, one who possesses relevant experience must be valued. Hence, experience needs to be the priority in mobilising manpower, the other factors are secondary and should be considered subsequently.

Answer 71

Well, it depends. If you want to train a Jedi, the trainee must be very young or else he/she will succumb to the Dark Side of the Force. If you want a soccer player, try to get one who is very young and talented. If you want a good blade, visit a blacksmith who is old and very experienced. There is no one-sided answer.

Answer 72

The young and the old bring with them different 'speciality'. The elderly may have the knowledge and experience but the young may have more creativity. Both are equal assets.

Answer 73

No both are needed in this society in order to keep the pace going.But Age and experience are used to educate the youth.

Answer 74

No...unfortunately most societies do not treasure age and experience. In reality, just look at the adverse effect for those who have contributed their loyalty, dedication, productivity, sharing of company goals and vision....in actual fact lead them to lost of self-esteem, cost cutting, restructuring, outsourcing, depression, etc. That's life...

Answer 75

No.



When you're old, you can be young at heart but physically and mentally you're still old. Youth is something cannot be bought.



Youths has more energy, sometimes more creative, more willing to try new things and experiment. Experience can be "bought" over time.

Answer 76

Yes, age and experienced is much valuable than youth. But both have their advantages



As the age and experience shall lead the youth...!



And the youth shall continue the circle...

Answer 77

Yes to a certain extend... it depends on the context.



Overall I think (and hope) my getting older, wiser and more experienced would give me an edge over a younger person not only in career (for example) but also, and most importantly in my judgement calls.

Answer 78

No. The most suitable person should be the criteria with

regard to the desired result.



One would fail! if one answered "yes" to the question - "Is

the heavenly body named Pluto a planet?".

Answer 79

Do you aged like good wines before kicking the butts of the dirty old men in office being overlook on planet earth.

Little one go and play under the sun and fly kite.

Your butts been kick by the dirty old men being overlook on planet earth.

Answer 80

Of Course!



Think about this...say you are very sick.

You have a choice of two doctors they tell you.

One has been doing med 5 yrs.........the other 20yrs.....

Now! your really really sick!

Who do you think has seen more.

Everyone will have their day...but it is 'folly' to think youth can beat a mature person.

Experience=wisdom...in most cases.Not all, but most.

Youth, has a wonderful time learning...and when it turns also(and it will) to wisdom, then it is it's time to shine.

Answer 81

I guess mostly yeah cause thats the period when one actually experience alot like learn new things and learn alot from mistakes, trying not to make mistakes twice and to appreciate good things in life.

Answer 82

No, nowadays our web coverage is so broad that there's no need to depend on age & experience. Once, we are on web we are experienced! For example, I prefer to check up on stuffs like parenting on web than ask the experienced.

Answer 83

Yes and No. Yes is because younger people are inexperience in handling tricky situation. No is because the energy level is not as good as young

Answer 84

age is the number of years you are living on earth.

experience is the events which happened to you - past.

youth is ... well, inside your heart. how you feel.



think about it. the old emperor with experiences can be blinded by his own judgement and a child can tell him he wasn't wearing anything... hmm.



is age and experience more valuable compared to youth? or ...



trust your own judgement?

Answer 85

When we were young, everthing were not mature enough about this and that, But time fly we grow older we get more thing to learn until we realy known what is going on around ourself. That it.

Answer 86

The virgin

- is the one youthful creature that lords over the experienced! How bewitching is the virgin to an experienced world!



But of course, Jimi Hendrix had alternative preferences, as evidenced from his cheeky lines, ‘But first, are you experienced? Have you ever been experienced?…not necessarily strong – but beautiful.’ LOL

Answer 87

young ppl are willing to learn but likes to job hop and seldom stays permanently to one place cause they are young and wanted to try different things..old experience person are usually better cause they dont like to change job due to age..but might have problem with medical and family commitment...and most of them are dedicated and serious about their profession rather than the younger ones

Answer 88

Why should one should value one's age and experience when you have all the information in the Internet? I am sorry best man wins in this world.

Answer 89

yes, because youth is one of the essential stage of our lives in which we start to gain self independance, lots and lots of experiences as well as priceless knowledge. And also what you do as youths might decidde waht you'd do as an adult.

Answer 90

Yes.But sadly,since Singapore is such a small country, we have to find young people.Make them the best

Answer 91

Yes..Cause The older and experience ate more salt then the young..

Answer 92

Definitely YES! As we grow through the ages and with the many experiences we went through, we learnt. We learnt how to do it better, and ultimately a better person.

Answer 93

No, because the more experience you get, the more jaded and depressed you become. I wish I were younger.

Answer 94

very good question, erm.... i think in some ways it should because of things like maturity and stuff like that, but younger people should be valued the same as older people. we are all equal! :)

xxx

Answer 95

Good judgments come from experiences

And experiences come from bad judgments.

Answer 96

in the infamous words of Richard Pryor " you dont get old being no fool, there's a lot of dead young m********** out there "

Answer 97

both have its merit, depending on the situation n backdround