term: eldership
One of the terms used on this wiki.
There are two sources that I love referring to when talking about moving into later life and eldership: T S Eliot's Four Quartets (my notes); and this little extract from Arnold Mindell's book, “Sitting in the Fire”: (ISBN 9781619710245 — Chapter 13: The Metaskills Of Elders, p.184)
The leader follows Robert’s Rules of Order; the elder obeys the spirit.
The leader seeks a majority; the elder stands for everyone.
The leader sees trouble and tries to stop it; the elder sees the troublemaker as a possible teacher.
The leader strives to be honest; the elder tries to show the truth in everything.
The democratic leader supports democracy; the elder does this, too, but also listens to dictators and ghosts.
Leaders try to be better at their jobs; elders try to get others to become elders.
Leaders try to be wise; elders have no minds of their own. They follow the events of nature.
The Leader needs time to reflect; the elder takes only a moment to notice what’s happening.
The leader knows; the elder learns.
The leader tries to act; the elder lets things be.
The leader needs a strategy; the elder studies the moment.
The leader follows a plan; the elder honours the direction of a mysterious and unknown river.
