🕘 9:45 PM
Tonight, I’m sitting down to write something I don’t usually share.
I’m boarding the Udayan Express headed to Sylhet. My mind is cluttered with cards and term pressures (after the break); yet I have to go, pressured by my family to make the trip.
👤 Introduction & Conversation
Amidst it all, I meet a stranger. We don’t know each other, but he sits next to me. The conversation begins—
Him: “Where are you coming from?”
Me: “Cox’s Bazar.”
Him: “What do you do here?”
Me: “I study at medical college, bhaiya.”
Him: “Since we’re from the same area, which school did you go to?”
Me: “Border Guard Public High School, bhaiya. And yours?”
Him: “Victoria High School.”
Me: “Which SSC batch are you from?”
Him: “Batch of ’14. And you?”
Me: “Batch of ’22, bhaiya.”
💭 Downbeat Discussion
Then the conversation took a slightly darker turn.
He said:
“Given the state of the country, what’s the point of studying? Just a while ago, I saw students acting tough with the driver over half fares. Students nowadays don’t respect teachers anymore. Back in our day, we’d get punished with dusters by teachers, but we stayed humble as students. Now it’s the other way around.”
I was already frustrated by the pressure of cards and terms; hearing this left me even more withdrawn. I never imagined I’d be seen so negatively at this stage in life. Again, I fell silent.
🧠 Generational Differences in Perspective
His complaints may sound familiar to many. These sentiments echo repeatedly among the older generation. But are we truly a ‘disrespectful’ generation? Or is this just a reflection of a different perspective in a different era?
The older generation believed discipline from teachers was an integral part of education. Getting punished, scolded, or strictly following rules was a normal part of student life.
They later remember these hardships as ‘respect.’
Today’s students grow up with a different mindset. They don’t want to accept discipline blindly; instead, they learn to ask questions and express their own views. This self-expression and practice of asserting their rights often appear as ‘disrespect’ to elders.
⚖️ The Core Conflict
Here’s where the core conflict lies—
- The older generation valued humility and obedience above all.
- The new generation places greater value on self-expression and awareness of rights.
This clash creates tension, but perhaps it’s not really a decline. Rather, it’s a transformation with time.
🤝 Toward Solutions
What we need is the practice of understanding each other.
- If the older generation feels humility is fading, then they should teach the younger how to be expressive yet humble.
- The new generation needs to understand that respecting teachers isn’t about fear—it’s about valuing knowledge.
This difference in generational perspective isn’t a story of decay, but one of evolution. Perhaps true education and true respect are built on a combination of past discipline and present-day freedom.
✍️ About the Author
Md. Iftakhar Hossain
MBBS 1st Year, Cox’s Bazar Medical College, Bangladesh
Fields of Interest: Behavioral Science, Neuroscience, and Habit Science
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