Dissent On The Forum

I am a member of a few Groups dedicated to a particular subject of mine.

There is an elderly person (82 years) who contributes articles after researching from many sources, in addition, gives his opinion from experience. We all quietly read those articles. Take the good points and leave the points which don't work for us.
This person took a lot of pride in sharing his knowledge with us in the past.

Many have written their appreciation for his efforts in the past. He was visibly happy to read our positive mails. Recently one member whom we know to be young, started to disagree with this person's views on the subject and belittled him, asking him not to misguide the freshers with his so-called theories on the subject which were all wrong and don't work. Just this one negative mail upset him very much.

This elderly person has written back a mail questioning this upstart's wisdom and experience in the subject by quoting the references and sources from which he gathered the information and presented it to the forum. Expectedly, he bid us all good bye as he felt the group din't deserve such pearls of wisdom.

Some wrote requesting him to continue and to ignore that fellow.

I thought this incident out. We love good comments all the time whatever be our age. We can't stomach even one single dissent. We want to storm out in protest. There is something called ego which comes into play.

"I am great. I am doing so much for this cause or that. Everyone should appreciate whatever I do. I am always right about everything. I will hear no dissenting voice against what I express. If someone does that, I will walk out and never share any of the precious knowledge I have acquired all these years. You don't deserve my wisdom...."

If a school teacher were to resign because one student creates problems for the teacher, then there would be no one left to teach or share knowledge with. How will we pass on what we know to the next line of learners. If our rishis were full of ego would we have learnt the shastras, traditions, techniques, etc.
For every Arjun there will be a Duryodhana who might question the teacher's credentials but the class should go on. The learning process should not be stopped for one voice of dissent.
That too, at age 82, when one is expected to be past such strong emotions.

To each his own.

Mahalakshmi