If there’s one concept that I’ve always had issues with, it’s the concept of seniority. Essentially, when discussing seniority here, I mean the notion of someone older or someone who has been in a certain position longer than someone else being deemed an authority figure over someone younger. The fact of the matter is that there are people whose seniority is their only ground for making a claim. There are people who have better positions at jobs through seniority. There are also people who use seniority as a way of enjoying certain perks, even in high schools. Truth be told, the entire concept of being eligible for authority due to one’s age or one’s time at a job is frankly messed up.

There are people who don’t have seniority in families, and therefore their opinions and preferences are ignored. In other words, you might hear the phrase “because I said so” used as the grounds for an argument. That phrase isn’t considered a good argument outside of family matters, so why should it be within them? Your answer is seniority.

There are people who work their butts off at their job throughout their whole life, and when they reach a level of seniority, that makes them even more admirable. But what about the people who have seniority in the workforce who are horrible to their coworkers? These people may be qualified for a better position at their job merely through seniority, even though there might be a newer employee who works harder, knows more, and genuinely cares about everyone else. Clearly, there are more issues when someone with seniority gets to make decisions that affect a whole group when overall they aren’t a good person. But the reason they’re able to remain where they are is seniority.

Finally, when I was in high school there were things that infuriated me both about and within seniority. Seniors at the high school always seemed to have some sort of elevated status, and truth be told this reflects poorly on everyone. I understand that the last year of high school is supposed to be the best, the one that ends with a ceremony, but allowing students to cut school and be the only ones allowed to go outside for lunch is irresponsible and unfair.

Even within seniority there was a level of unfairness that I hated. In order to be able to leave five minutes early, all seniors had to have a badge that cost around $100. This cost included a few other things, like field trips and perks of being able to arrive late certain days. But let’s be reasonable here. Aside from the things that would actually require money, like field trips, why is it that the people who couldn’t afford the stupid badge were illegible from leaving five minutes early and showing up late on certain days? I can tell you that I don’t know the answer, but it was incredibly unfair to those who were unable to enjoy even the smallest benefits of being a senior because of financial issues.

To take this argument one step further, I believe that in certain situations, seniority should not be the reigning factor for who deserves what. Additionally, as in the high school case, if perks are going to be offered, then they should include every person as best as they can. To end, just think about this… Every time you see a post on social media by somebody older than you, or even your age, complaining about a younger generation, you are reflecting the idea that seniority somehow makes you better. I’m here to tell you that being older or being first does not make you better. Just because you’re an adult, a manager, or a senior, that doesn’t make you deserve the respect or admiration of those who are young. What counts is becoming a person who does deserve those things, and through methods other than boasting about age and rank.