My parents and I had a discussion recently about how differently people think these days. It seems that people even 5-10 years younger than me have a radically different mindset and perspective on life. I asked them: was Generation X as outspokenly liberal as Millennials are perceived now, or have people really changed?
Their answer: absolutely. They went on to say they're glad my brother and I were born in "the last generation with traditional values." My father went on to say he decided to retire in 2014 because people had changed. They're less patient, and they don't like to think. They want what they want when they want it, no matter what. And they don't care what the cost is to themselves or others as long as they're happy right now. There's no long term perspective.
Of course, your parents will flatter you. So I pose this question to a larger, more diverse audience (I hope) in this blog: is Generation X the last generation with traditional values?
I don't know. I do see my parents' point. I've been in the workforce for over 20 years, and I agree that people are more demanding and less patient than they were when I graduated college. I'll also say that people are more reticent to think than they used to be. People will ask questions now that they were too embarrassed to admit to even 10 years ago. I guess people think that if you can ask Google anything, then you should be able to ask anybody anything. Or perhaps it's that "there's no such thing as a stupid question" fiction that was so popular back in the 2000's.
You'd think that access to so much information would improve us, and maybe it has in other ways. I know the Internet has made research for my novels so much easier now. We do have a lot of information at our fingertips. We also have a lot of cat videos and meme's, so I suppose that too can go another way. For every Voyager Probe picture of the outer reaches of the solar system, there's a political tirade. It's all out there. I saw an article that conservatives need to create their own version of YouTube because they're being silenced online by Google a month ago. Now, I hear that Google is left-leaning. What's right? Is there even any middle ground anymore?
I don't know. There's no doubt that the world is changing. The question is: will this moderate as the Millennials enter middle age? Gen X has mellowed out and found their middle ground, as have generations before them. Will the circle continue, or are their numbers and culture really big enough to change things?
Or is it possible that it has been changing with each successive generation, slowly and surely, and now we're at the tipping point? Technology gave us a huge shove forward between Gen X and the Millennials. Perhaps we're still trying to find that balance between ability and evolution that I'm always talking about.
I don't know. I pose this to you, dear readers. Think it over. There's no doubt that we've changed. The world changes, and we have to change with it to adapt. The question is, are we changing for the better? Or are we still on a huge learning curve to find our balance in a world that's changed faster than we have?
That's all today. Take care, and have a great rest of the week.
Bye!
Their answer: absolutely. They went on to say they're glad my brother and I were born in "the last generation with traditional values." My father went on to say he decided to retire in 2014 because people had changed. They're less patient, and they don't like to think. They want what they want when they want it, no matter what. And they don't care what the cost is to themselves or others as long as they're happy right now. There's no long term perspective.
Of course, your parents will flatter you. So I pose this question to a larger, more diverse audience (I hope) in this blog: is Generation X the last generation with traditional values?
I don't know. I do see my parents' point. I've been in the workforce for over 20 years, and I agree that people are more demanding and less patient than they were when I graduated college. I'll also say that people are more reticent to think than they used to be. People will ask questions now that they were too embarrassed to admit to even 10 years ago. I guess people think that if you can ask Google anything, then you should be able to ask anybody anything. Or perhaps it's that "there's no such thing as a stupid question" fiction that was so popular back in the 2000's.
You'd think that access to so much information would improve us, and maybe it has in other ways. I know the Internet has made research for my novels so much easier now. We do have a lot of information at our fingertips. We also have a lot of cat videos and meme's, so I suppose that too can go another way. For every Voyager Probe picture of the outer reaches of the solar system, there's a political tirade. It's all out there. I saw an article that conservatives need to create their own version of YouTube because they're being silenced online by Google a month ago. Now, I hear that Google is left-leaning. What's right? Is there even any middle ground anymore?
I don't know. There's no doubt that the world is changing. The question is: will this moderate as the Millennials enter middle age? Gen X has mellowed out and found their middle ground, as have generations before them. Will the circle continue, or are their numbers and culture really big enough to change things?
Or is it possible that it has been changing with each successive generation, slowly and surely, and now we're at the tipping point? Technology gave us a huge shove forward between Gen X and the Millennials. Perhaps we're still trying to find that balance between ability and evolution that I'm always talking about.
I don't know. I pose this to you, dear readers. Think it over. There's no doubt that we've changed. The world changes, and we have to change with it to adapt. The question is, are we changing for the better? Or are we still on a huge learning curve to find our balance in a world that's changed faster than we have?
That's all today. Take care, and have a great rest of the week.
Bye!
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