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My take on the 4 stages of life Activism Is a Way of Life – Not a Stage of Life

Mohsen BANAN
E-mail: http://mohsen.banan.1.byname.net/ContactMe April 2009
http://mohsen.banan.1.byname.net/DRAFT/120016
Varbatim Copying Permitted

Common Summary.

Many cultures split life into 4 stages. With various variations these 4 stages are often labeled as:

• Student Stage – 0-25 years old – When we focus on Learing
• Worker Stage – 25-45 years old – When we are providers
• Stateman Stage – 45-65 years old – When we focus on giving back to the society (activism)
• Wiseman Stage – 65–death – When we give advice and mentor

My take on these 4 stages is that activism is a way of life, not a stage of life.

Hinduism.

The Four Stages of Life Hinduism recognizes four main stages of life. Like the goals of life, these can be divided into three plus one, with the three deriving from the "life is good" strand of Hinduism, and the one deriving from the "life is bad" strand. The first three are the student, the householder, and the retired person, while the fourth is the ascetic (also known as a sannyasin or a sadhu).

Chinese.

For thousands of years Chinese society based their collective ethic on four distinct stages of life. 1. 0 - 21 - years Student 2. 21 - 42 - years State Servant/Steward 3. 42 - 63 - years Parent/Mastership/Home estate 4. 63 - 84 - years Retirement/Sage/Adviser

My Take.

• Activism is a way of life – not a way to retire to
• Capability influences policy
• By the time you reach Stages 3 and 4 – you lack creativity and energy