Sep 14·edited Sep 14Liked by Marcellino D'Ambrosio
Informational, but what to do about it?
One thing I noticed with my parents (and this applies to every generation) is they imprinted on the world as it was in their late teens and early twenties. They judged everything by that imprint. It was impossible to tell my father cars were getting too complicated; after all, in his day (he was born in 1930 in rural California,) one could disassemble a whole vehicle with a handful of sockets and a couple screwdrivers. He simply would not update his thinking about cars. Nor could he update his thinking about government (dad, it's far more corrupt than it was in your day!) and art? HELL NO, that ain't no way to make a living. Artists are bums or grifters. Auto/medical insurance a rip-off? What do you base that on (in tones that indicated to me, 'you are wrong and I will prove it to you.')
He continued to be appalled in his last years at what the world had become. I was amazed at that.
How could you fail to notice the changes?
I have seen this tendency in others too...they guide their thinking by the thinking they developed early on. Few seem capable/willing to updated their worldviews. It's amazing to see some old guy insisting the cops are the 'good guys,' and criminals are the 'yucky people.' All one need do is get the attention of the state and POW! you are now one of the 'yucky people' for having done something as appalling as importing frozen lobster in bags instead of boxes. Yes, that's a law.
I teach blacksmithing at my association. I generally teach newbies to make a nail or an arrowhead or a simple hook. Practical, basic. I am astonished to meet guys in their twenties who've never driven a nail into wood, nor worked with any tools, nor built anything. They are often paralyzed when challenged to hit something with a hammer. They make this face, this shocked expression. They are unable to follow and execute basic instructions after watching me demonstrate. I have a gift for teaching; finding myself unable to bridge the gaps and get student going frightens me. These kids are handicapped in a way that I do not understand.
What will these man-lings do when collapse hits and they are left stupefied, unable to to such basic things?
Updating our worldview, our most basic assumptions, is now SURVIVAL. Become aware of your assumptions and challenge them. We are in the middle of a complete societal inversion on the precipice of a complete economic collapse. Old people will NEED young people to work, to do the things they can no longer do. Young people will need the old because we know stuff.
Best we can do is get tools, build skills, and get to work building small, sustainable communities. To do that, we need young people. Give ‘em a mission better than partying and maybe they’ll sign on.
Sep 15·edited Sep 15Liked by Marcellino D'Ambrosio
I'm Gen X. I was taught to read before I started school, and it made an enormous difference. My oldest friend was likewise taught, and our mothers commented that on the first day of school, we were the only ones who went around looking at things, while other children looked terrified.
I've seen similar things now decades later in my work as a personal trainer. There are people who've done some sports or the like and they come into the gym with some confidence. And there are others who've never done anything physical at all.
We can see this even in something as dorky as roleplaying games. Earlier ones like AD&D (published 1978) simply had whether your character was a warrior, wizard or whatever. But what about hunting, starting a fire or putting up a tent? It wasn't mentioned - the writer was born in the 1940s, so it was simply assumed that you could do things like that. A couple of decades later, games started listing those sorts of things as particular skills. "Survival 45%" and the like. Because for someone born in the 1980s or later, it couldn't be assumed they'd have those skills. And people projected their own abilities or lack of onto these medieval fantasy characters.
That early exposure in childhood is really key. I don't think it's skills as such, but just not being frightened by it all. Lack of skills would mean the person tries and then fails. Lack of confidence means they won't even try. Many times in the gym I've had a new person tell me, "I can't do this," before they've even tried.
This means that as fathers, aunties, teachers or whatever, it's our job to expose children to a wide variety of experiences. They don't have to become skilled, they just have to not be too frightened to even try. That's the mental block you're talking about, I think.
This process you describe of imprinting on our minds the Way Things Are when in our late teens / early twenties has a name. It's called cultural inheritance. In the way-back time before postmodernism and relativism and the dizzying speed of change we live with now, this was exactly how cultures and traditions were passed from one generation to the next. The reason younger generations have no sense of self apart from their social media presence is that any kind of resistance to change - no matter how small - is now viewed with horror. If you don't trans the kids then what's next? Six-gorillion-jews-in-boxcars, that's what. Because who else would resist change?
I’m an elder Millennial who has always felt more of a kinship with Gen X, but I think you can cut yourself some slack for getting a participation trophy for Nike Team Nationals.
Amigo, I say this not a ls a snarky takedown but as someone who likes to see good writing thrive… please have some proofread your work for typos, punctuation, etc.
You age range on Gen X seems a bit off in saying it ends in 1989. The oldest millennial were born in 1980 or so. Thats about a decade of overlap. "AI Overview
The age range for Millennials is generally considered to be 1981–1996, but there are some variations:
Our greaatest advantage is that, when you can inspire us to learn, we throw ourselves into it with abandon. We want to be pushed, deep down, we just need a little boost in the right direction and a little encouragement can go a long way when it's applied properly. That, and I think those of my Generation who aren't completely off the deep end benefit from a greater overall contextual understanding of how we got here, due to the rapid changes in the world of the last 100 years being drilled into us in public school
Informational, but what to do about it?
One thing I noticed with my parents (and this applies to every generation) is they imprinted on the world as it was in their late teens and early twenties. They judged everything by that imprint. It was impossible to tell my father cars were getting too complicated; after all, in his day (he was born in 1930 in rural California,) one could disassemble a whole vehicle with a handful of sockets and a couple screwdrivers. He simply would not update his thinking about cars. Nor could he update his thinking about government (dad, it's far more corrupt than it was in your day!) and art? HELL NO, that ain't no way to make a living. Artists are bums or grifters. Auto/medical insurance a rip-off? What do you base that on (in tones that indicated to me, 'you are wrong and I will prove it to you.')
He continued to be appalled in his last years at what the world had become. I was amazed at that.
How could you fail to notice the changes?
I have seen this tendency in others too...they guide their thinking by the thinking they developed early on. Few seem capable/willing to updated their worldviews. It's amazing to see some old guy insisting the cops are the 'good guys,' and criminals are the 'yucky people.' All one need do is get the attention of the state and POW! you are now one of the 'yucky people' for having done something as appalling as importing frozen lobster in bags instead of boxes. Yes, that's a law.
I teach blacksmithing at my association. I generally teach newbies to make a nail or an arrowhead or a simple hook. Practical, basic. I am astonished to meet guys in their twenties who've never driven a nail into wood, nor worked with any tools, nor built anything. They are often paralyzed when challenged to hit something with a hammer. They make this face, this shocked expression. They are unable to follow and execute basic instructions after watching me demonstrate. I have a gift for teaching; finding myself unable to bridge the gaps and get student going frightens me. These kids are handicapped in a way that I do not understand.
What will these man-lings do when collapse hits and they are left stupefied, unable to to such basic things?
Updating our worldview, our most basic assumptions, is now SURVIVAL. Become aware of your assumptions and challenge them. We are in the middle of a complete societal inversion on the precipice of a complete economic collapse. Old people will NEED young people to work, to do the things they can no longer do. Young people will need the old because we know stuff.
That’s so incredibly well said. One of the most important things we can do is keep our world view flexible.
As I wrote this I realized there were ways mine wasn’t as flexible as I’d previously thought.
I find the nihilism of genz abhorrent, but there are ways in which my pursuit of meaning have made me a sucker.
The pain of updating that world view to a more nihilistic one would be tantamount to a small death.
Best we can do is get tools, build skills, and get to work building small, sustainable communities. To do that, we need young people. Give ‘em a mission better than partying and maybe they’ll sign on.
I'm Gen X. I was taught to read before I started school, and it made an enormous difference. My oldest friend was likewise taught, and our mothers commented that on the first day of school, we were the only ones who went around looking at things, while other children looked terrified.
I've seen similar things now decades later in my work as a personal trainer. There are people who've done some sports or the like and they come into the gym with some confidence. And there are others who've never done anything physical at all.
We can see this even in something as dorky as roleplaying games. Earlier ones like AD&D (published 1978) simply had whether your character was a warrior, wizard or whatever. But what about hunting, starting a fire or putting up a tent? It wasn't mentioned - the writer was born in the 1940s, so it was simply assumed that you could do things like that. A couple of decades later, games started listing those sorts of things as particular skills. "Survival 45%" and the like. Because for someone born in the 1980s or later, it couldn't be assumed they'd have those skills. And people projected their own abilities or lack of onto these medieval fantasy characters.
That early exposure in childhood is really key. I don't think it's skills as such, but just not being frightened by it all. Lack of skills would mean the person tries and then fails. Lack of confidence means they won't even try. Many times in the gym I've had a new person tell me, "I can't do this," before they've even tried.
This means that as fathers, aunties, teachers or whatever, it's our job to expose children to a wide variety of experiences. They don't have to become skilled, they just have to not be too frightened to even try. That's the mental block you're talking about, I think.
This process you describe of imprinting on our minds the Way Things Are when in our late teens / early twenties has a name. It's called cultural inheritance. In the way-back time before postmodernism and relativism and the dizzying speed of change we live with now, this was exactly how cultures and traditions were passed from one generation to the next. The reason younger generations have no sense of self apart from their social media presence is that any kind of resistance to change - no matter how small - is now viewed with horror. If you don't trans the kids then what's next? Six-gorillion-jews-in-boxcars, that's what. Because who else would resist change?
As an older millennial, I feel like that Sunday Best song is the "mirror of Galadriel" for understanding Gen Z.
That video did that for me.
I’m an elder Millennial who has always felt more of a kinship with Gen X, but I think you can cut yourself some slack for getting a participation trophy for Nike Team Nationals.
Yeah, I think you're right. Haha
I'm noticing that a Gen X guy is left out of your lead picture. This is very typical for Gen X, not that we care. Fun piece.
Amigo, I say this not a ls a snarky takedown but as someone who likes to see good writing thrive… please have some proofread your work for typos, punctuation, etc.
Yeah. You’re right. Want the job?
Looks like I’m the wrong guy!!
And I also see I need someone to proofread my comment 😂
You age range on Gen X seems a bit off in saying it ends in 1989. The oldest millennial were born in 1980 or so. Thats about a decade of overlap. "AI Overview
The age range for Millennials is generally considered to be 1981–1996, but there are some variations:
Population Reference Bureau: 1981–1999
CNN: 1980–2000
National Records of Scotland: 1980–2000
Resolution Foundation: 1981–2000
U.S. Government Accountability Office: 1982–2000
Elwood Carlson: 1983–2001
Neil Howe: 1982–2004"
You’re right. That’s a typo. I will fix that.
Great piece, man. Needed to get written.
Thanks.
I have two question.
1. What’s the gen z’s greatesr advantage?
2. What can boomers actually do to help realistically?
Our greaatest advantage is that, when you can inspire us to learn, we throw ourselves into it with abandon. We want to be pushed, deep down, we just need a little boost in the right direction and a little encouragement can go a long way when it's applied properly. That, and I think those of my Generation who aren't completely off the deep end benefit from a greater overall contextual understanding of how we got here, due to the rapid changes in the world of the last 100 years being drilled into us in public school
Thanks for this, it’s really useful and I haven’t heard anyone articulate the dynamic so well.