Building Bridges Between Generations Is a Must

Building Bridges Between Generations Is a Must

2 October 2025

Yesterday was the International Day of Older Persons. Fittingly, my weekly meeting turned into an unexpected reminder of why bridging the generation gap is so important.

Around the table sat four seasoned veterans, a fifty-something, and me, not yet 65 myself. The older colleagues have remarkable track records, deep knowledge, and the wisdom that comes from learning through mistakes. The fifty-something was highly educated, engaged, and eager to learn. Yet when I asked if he knew who was in the room, it became clear that he hardly recognized any of these walking encyclopedias—living history, repositories of knowledge and wisdom.

This is not the first time I’ve witnessed the gap. A year ago, I had a similar experience with a forty-something individual of a similar background. The disconnect is striking. Many in the younger generations have never even heard of Boeli van Leeuwen, let alone read his masterpiece Geniale Anarchie. And if they do not know cultural anchors like him, what else has been quietly erased? Ironically, we are in the National Culture Week and nothing of this is addressed.

The problem is not ignorance alone. It is that the knowledge, lessons, and context of our society are left untapped, denied, and in that process, destroyed. Meanwhile, younger generations often believe they invented the internet (in truth, it was the work of baby boomers) and act as if their digital savvy makes them all-knowing and self-sufficient.

But here’s the truth: no society can thrive if generations fail to connect. If we do not actively build bridges between those who carry memory and those who have ambition, humanity itself loses.

Perhaps, in time, artificial intelligence will capture the wisdom of the older guard and preserve it indirectly. But should we really leave something so vital to machines? Building bridges between generations is not optional; it is a must.

Miguel Goede