Old vs New; Newbies vs. Veterans

It doesn't matter what vocation you are in, what hobbies you partake in, what sports you play, or what interests you are involved in, you will always face in some way OLD vs NEW. I've faced it on both ends of the spectrum, and as I lay in bed the other evening it came to mind to write out my thoughts about this concept.

There will always be new people joining into whatever it is you are doing, who we will call "newbies". And there will always be old people who have been doing their thing for quite some time now, who we'll call "veterans". This has nothing to do with age, you can be an 80 year old newbie, or a 22 year old veteran in many cases.

Just to make this clear what I'm talking about, here are some examples:

Hobby Example: Photographers!  You'll always have people who are just starting out learning the ropes, and you'll always have people who've been taking photos for decades.

Vocation Example: Musicians! You'll always have some new band, new singer, new artist making their way up the ladder, and you'll always have tried and true musicians who know the scene and have been doing it 'forever'.

Another Example: Volunteers! No matter where you volunteer, or if you are a docent or not, you'll always have the fresh and green volunteers, and those that have been there 5, 10, even 20 years.

Another Example: Writers! You gotta start somewhere, and then you've got those who know the ropes and write in their sleep.

Another Example: Gamers! Yes, even gamers start out as 'newbs', and then you've got those that are veteran gamers that can pick up a game in the first few minutes.

Hopefully now you understand what I mean by the OLD vs the NEW. You can't get away from it, and no matter what you do or who you are, you will always start out as a newbie in something, and eventually you'll be a veteran in something (or many things!)

So, how do you act as a newbie, and as a veteran - regardless of what you are a newbie or veteran of? This is what I want to talk about. Too many times I've seen newbies come into something and attempt to change how everything is done. They do not show respect for those who've put hard work, time and effort and insist that change is absolutely necessary and even judge veterans for being 'behind the times' if they refuse to change. Or on the other hand, I've seen newbies come into a venture excited and a veteran crush their dreams, ignore them, or even judge them against standards they could never meet.

I'm going to use photography as a basis for this, because it's something I'm involved in, but you can substitute anything. In my very newbie days, I've had veteran photographers who out of competition, or perhaps just sheer meanness because they like to put down the newbies come to me and question me intensely about everything I was doing on my camera technical wise. I was nearly in tears in one case, because I could not answer the questions quick enough and did not even know what he was talking about in some cases. He was trying to trip me up, in order to perhaps make himself look like a professional, and myself look like the hobbyist who had no idea how to use her camera properly. I can imagine the scenario playing out differently, if the person had asked me if I was having any problems with anything and I could have said "Sure, I'm having an issue with lighting.." and then a conversation starting where I could soak up their knowledge instead of being judged for not having it.

There is much to be learned from veterans, if they will share. And sometimes newbie enthusiasm can light a fire in a veteran that they haven't had for years.

My suggestions:

NEWBIE - Here's some tips on being a gracious newbie.
1. Remember, you don't know everything. No one likes know-it-alls. Books don't teach everything.
2. The 'new' way isn't always the 'best' way, be open to tried and true ideas.
3. Don't immediately join up and try to change how everything is done.
4. Be respectful to those who have been involved longer than you, even if you do not agree with how things are done.
5. Seek out veteran mentors to teach you, it doesn't have to be a serious or time consuming thing. Meet a veteran? A simple question (even if you think you know the answer) opens the door to information sharing. Ask a veteran how they'd do something, and listen. Ask a veteran how to solve a common problem, you might learn a new trick. Use the vast knowledge out there that isn't in books, but in people.

VETERAN - Here's some tips on being an understanding veteran.
1. Do not pass judgement so quickly on the newbies. Stop your mind, and your mouth, before you judge someone new to your vocation, hobby, interest, etc.
2. The 'old' way isn't always the 'best' way, so be open to new ideas. After all, if we did not have new and innovative ideas we'd still be riding around in a horse and carriage.
3. Realize that newbies are usually very excited about their new venture, and that is impetus for them to learn and experience. Don't be grumpy about their eagerness, don't snuff out their light.
4. Give some leeway for learning, a learning curve, to newbies. They may not know the ins and outs of everything, so before you judge, remember you started out as a newbie at some point too and experience takes time.
5. Do not ever fall into the trap of thinking you know everything. You can always learn more. Learn until you die.
6. Use this opportunity to train instead of judge, mentor a newbie and let your spirit and knowledge live on!

There will always be know-it-all newbies, and crotchety veterans but if even one newbie gave an ounce of respect to a veteran, or one veteran opens up to a newbie and gifts them with information then I'd be quite happy because there will always be the old, there will always be the new and there is no reason for any of us to be ashamed or debased for being new to something, or for veterans to be disrespected for being out of touch.