Yep, people are the same through the ages and in different cultures. My eleventh graders in English are reading world literature–not without some whining. We have been reading different myths from around the world. One was about a son who didn’t listen to his father and ended up causing a lot of problems (world burning up ones). Does that not sound like teenagers today? And yet, this myth was written thousands of years ago. In the Good Earth my class read last semester the teenage son was bored and was getting into trouble–staying out late, drinking and gambling. He had nothing to keep himself occupied so he was causing problems for his parents. Does that sound familiar?
Humans are the same. Relationships between friends, a couple, parents and children are basically the same. It is comforting to know on one hand, but you know we haven’t learned much through the years either. Like the stories above teens still defy their parents and rebell, not to mention all the other things we are still doing to each other.
Wasn’t there a saying about the reason we need to study history is because it keeps repeating itself? If there isn’t a saying, there should be.
