Never sit while your seniors stand is a Native American saying that is the basis of this reflection today. I have always been awed by the wisdom that comes to us from countless cultures and traditions and have always asked myself how richer our human experience would be if we took more time, one saying or proverb at a time, to reflect on these treasures that are there free for everyone to benefit from.
In the formation tradition in which I grew up, the lesson of respect for elders was a common one, one that included respect for everyone and everything. One fundamental facet of this respect was respect for elders who are defined as anyone significantly older than I, such as parents, grandparents, older siblings, leaders of the community and all elderly people.
In principle, the older a person is, the more elaborate the respect accorded to her or him. And this is why a person will make sure that an elder is sitting before he or she sits. If there are not enough chairs, all present elders will get the available chairs before the young ones do so.
This kind of respect applies to all situations which we can think of. For instance, if I am walking on a narrow village path and an elder is coming from the opposite direction, I would automatically let her or him pass, even if it means stepping out of the path. In a meeting, elders are listened to very carefully, and likewise, when anyone is speaking, elders will listen very attentively.
One facet of this kind of respect that always amazed me is that respect in the tradition in which I grew up was given and reciprocated. That is, if you give respect to an elder, that elder will receive it with profound thanks and appreciation. Respect was therefore given and received and given back.
Respect was not limited to human beings but was given to everything in the environment. I have talked about this in another article in this newspaper. In this reflection I would like to emphasize that giving respect to everyone, in particular to those who are elder than we are, is a fundamental human predisposition which we should pass on to our children and grandchildren. And this is why Native Americans say: Never sit while your senior is standing. This is a virtue that distinguishes a gentle person from anyone else.
