The Old Saying

There is an ancient adage: "Old sins cast long shadows." Let us assume that this is true. If it is true, why is it true? It may be attributable to that line in the Old Testament where it is written that the sins of the fathers are visited unto the 7th generation. Is there a sense of divine retribution at work here, that we are punished for our sins in this world, as well as in the next, and that our children must pay for our crimes? Yes, I think there is a smidgen of that at work. I see two other factors at work, and more important, too.

If we assume (as I do) that people are born wicked, then the sins of the grandparents easily are borrowed and perpetuated by younger, related evildoers who like what they have inherited, and just keep misbehaving into the future.

The other factor of course is the pressure that tradition imposes upon successive generations. Once a bad practice becomes institutionalized as cultural custom, people are inclined to repeat the mistake over and over again just because it is their tradition, which they continue to celebrate.

Now let us rewrite the old adage: "Old Virtues do not cast long shadows." Let us assume that this new saying is true. If it is true why is it true? People are born wicked, so loving, humane acts and practices do not automatically or readily transmit to the new generation, unless they are immersed in, and live in accordance with faith and morals, as taught by, and learned from their foreparents.

The tradition to be built up then, is to have wrought a high culture under which a life dedicated to maverizing is the norm. Where talented, exercised geniuses are commonplace, and artisticness and excellence are routine and expected, then old virtues will cast long shadows, for the naturally wicked indidivuators are so highly trained morally, intellectually and in terms of skill and knowledge, that they recognize quality practices from the past, will not discard them, and in fact will continue practicing them.