It’s very easy to look at those who have gone before us and feel that everything they did was wrong. Or at least to talk as if we felt that way. As we grow and make our own discoveries, we sometimes look back with a bit of disdain.

And that’s wrong.

I was thinking about the metaphor of standing on the shoulders of those that came before, considering how useful that metaphor is. The fact is, had previous generations not done what they did, we’d have a hard time being where we are right now. We’d have a hard time questioning them had they not prepared us to do that very thing. We are what we are because we stand on the shoulders of those that went before.

So let me offer some thoughts based on that metaphor:

• There are two mistakes we often make when looking at previous generations. One is to try and tear down everything they did, looking to start over from ground zero. The other is to place them on a pedestal, regarding their work and their ideas as completely untouchable. That also leaves us standing on the ground. The healthy response is to climb up and stand on their shoulders, respecting what they’ve done, but not limiting ourselves to that.
• As we look at future generations, we need to prepare ourselves to be stood on. We need to stand as tall as we can, yet keep a strong base. We need to accept that being stood on is uncomfortable; it’s much nicer to have someone stand back and gaze at us lovingly. It’s more productive to allow others to reach higher than we ever could.
• To the next generation, I say, “Stand on me.” Don’t be limited by my mistakes. Don’t overlook my contributions. Use what I’ve done to reach higher. I don’t want to be a memorial, nor do I want to be a pile of rubble. I want to be a ladder, allowing future generations to be better than my own.

photo from www.morguefile.com