Thread: Millenials Finally apologize

As a Millenial (maybe one of the older ones, born in '84), and one that has been successful, I empathize with my generation but I will say this- Every generation is the direct product of their parents, so yes, absolutely we are the product of affluence and comfort. However, we did not create the system we came up in, you did. I was fortunate to grow up middle class, with baby boomer parents who told me I could do anything, and I worked hard. Maybe it was luck, because I know many other smart, capable peers who have been less successful. I can understand the criticism. Our generation shouldn't complain that we all aren't astronauts and cardiologists like our parents promised, and we have to find a way to reconcile that. On the other hand, the older guys can't complain that we haven't reached our potential when society simply can't accommodate it in the same way it could a generation ago. I would venture to guess that the greatest generation was probably complaining about the baby boomers in the late 60's/early 70's.

add: That video is brilliant and I definitely want to acknowledge the clever satire.

Originally Posted by RMarsh

I would venture to guess that the greatest generation was probably complaining about the baby boomers in the late 60's/early 70's..

You got that 100% right for sure.

Bob

Has anyone read the book "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell? The whole book is about people with specific talents who were uniquely positioned to achieve greatness, in large part by circumstance. he talks about financiers who came of age during the depression, to include many of the founders of the current Wall Street heavy hitters. And sports stars who were a month too young to start in youth leagues (subsequently putting them 11 months older than most kids in the next year's group, which had a waterfall effect through their entire careers ), and the computer innovators like bill gates, Paul Allen and Steve Jobs, who were young, capable, and in the right place at the right time to make history. Don't underestimate circumstance. This generation is not dumber, lazier, or less competent; give it time, great things are still to come.

Originally Posted by Brenngun

You may have the impression it was easier for previous generations. Granted it may have been for some based on a different set of economic conditions but not for all. The one thing you must do is persevere. If you allow the current state of affairs to hold you down then you will surely fail.

I do not. I'm blessed with a steady job and have been since 2008. However both my brothers have been havind a very hard time. One of them has been unemployed ever since he got out of school last year.

What I said wasn't a dig at previous generations for doing things wrong or saying you've had it easy (I'm not exactly a millenial, I was born in 1980). It was however as "stop complaining about the current generation, you may think they have it easy. But things are never quite as easy as they seem."

Like my grandmother used to say (msrip): There was nothing particularly good about the 'good old days'.

Originally Posted by RMarsh

As a Millenial (maybe one of the older ones, born in '84), and one that has been successful, I empathize with my generation but I will say this- Every generation is the direct product of their parents, so yes, absolutely we are the product of affluence and comfort. However, we did not create the system we came up in, you did. I was fortunate to grow up middle class, with baby boomer parents who told me I could do anything, and I worked hard. Maybe it was luck, because I know many other smart, capable peers who have been less successful. I can understand the criticism. Our generation shouldn't complain that we all aren't astronauts and cardiologists like our parents promised, and we have to find a way to reconcile that. On the other hand, the older guys can't complain that we haven't reached our potential when society simply can't accommodate it in the same way it could a generation ago. I would venture to guess that the greatest generation was probably complaining about the baby boomers in the late 60's/early 70's.

add: That video is brilliant and I definitely want to acknowledge the clever satire.

Well said. I think we can all blame previous generations for their lack of appreciation for ours.

Why does it feel like half the threads in this forum could be titled, "Get off my lawn, you young punk, ya. In my day, yada, yada..." I teach theses guys, have for 17 years now. And yeah, a lot of what gets said about them is true: entitled, narcicisstic, etc., etc. But the reality is that they appear to be the 1st generation since the Baby Boom started in '46 that won't do better than their parents income-wise.

Now the reasons for that can, and have been debated endlessly on this forum, and I don't have the energy on a Friday evening to stir that hornet's nest. I just know I've had a number of dynamic young graduating seniors go off to get college degrees only to spend years interning, minimum waging, and just generally stagnating career-wise. Nowadays you REALLY have to choose your field wisely in order to have a chance!

I teach them at University. My best advice, though no one ever asks me for it, is to stop shuffling the cards you've been given and start making up your own game.

James.

Originally Posted by Bruno

Like my grandmother used to say (msrip): There was nothing particularly good about the 'good old days'.

...but... THESE are the good ole days - at least that's what 20 year olds will say about today in 20 years. It's a rolling concept - most people view some span of years that (in retrospect only) they see as their best years. I thought just about everything was screwed up in the 70s until the 90s hit and then I reminisced about those really crazy and fun 70's. Did it again in 2008 regarding the mid 90's. Then again I may be insane...

Originally Posted by Jimbo

My best advice, though no one ever asks me for it, is to stop shuffling the cards you've been given and start making up your own game.

Can't read my, Can't read my
No he can't read my poker face
P-p-p-poker face, p-p-poker face