As a GenX (xennial actually), no… GenX needs to start being held accountable for the all the shit going on in this world. They are not above reproach, and it’s high time we all call them out on their narcissistic bullshit.
“Narcissistic bullshit” is intergenerational. In fact, it has nothing to do with age. So you’re going to hold Gen X “accountable”…? Geezus fuck off. Go hold the pre-WWII generation accountable, or 19nth Century people, or the Roman Empire era folks… This whole generational gripe-fest that some of you espouse is just aimless trendy nonsense. I don’t respect it.
It’s exact opposite of a trend. The younger generations criticizing the older ones for not living up to their responsibilities has been just as much a constant throughout human history as the older generations criticizing the younger ones for being lazy by their parents’ definition.
The world sucks, as usual, and by now Gen X are old enough to be in charge. It’s sensible to call them out, just like in a decade or two it’ll be sensible to call out the Millennials for the same thing.
First paragraph: yeah!
Second paragraph negates the first. You want change? Go for it. Yelling at old people ain’t gonna get you any changes. You gotta do it yourself. I remember in college, a long time ago, people in my age group lobbing the exact same complaints how grandma and grandpa didn’t make the world better for them. They complained, yet didn’t put much effort to changing anything, particularly in voter turnout.
But if you look at the creeping tide of history, you’ll find things ever so slowly getting better in a bunch of different ways. The newer generations are never handed a utopia, but are certainly welcome to work at creating one.
Oh, I am aware that this dynamic doesn’t quite work. Both sides of the equation get it almost, but not entirely, right. Because getting it right is challenging.
The older generations do get lazy as soon as their own needs are met, especially those of them who wield power. And that doesn’t just mean politicians but also CEOs, large investors, etc. Working for the common good is difficult and most people follow the path of least resistance, leading to the dynamics young people complain about.
But young people fall prey to the very same dynamic. It’s easier to get disillusioned and complain on the internet than to consistently go out and exert pressure. Sure, maybe they go on a protest march or two but few have the energy to consistently go on marches, be active in politics, stay on top of which companies are toxic, openly defy the law, and do a myriad other things that don’t directly benefit them in order to fight for a better world. You can do that if you’re rich and isolated from consequence but in that case your life is cushy already so you’d be fighting for abstract principles.
There are few people of the caliber of Bernie Sanders or Greta Thunberg because it’s really hard and carries a real risk of ruining their own life. Most people who do try end up like the people who glue themselves to highways: They get ridiculed and fined and effect no change whatsoever.
So for most people all that remains is resignation. Gen X said “whatever” when they weren’t listened to because they weren’t willing to sacrifice their personal future to escalate things until change is inevitable. Millennials say “OK Boomer” as they find themselves in the same situation for the same reason.
(I’ll gloss over the “young people are lazy” part but it boils down to young people actually being lazy in terms of failing to apply themselves in ways the older people did, with the caveat that some of those ways no longer apply and young people are applying themselves in new ways the older people don’t realize are necessary now. This perception dynamic is at least as old as recorded history.)
Blaming old people is a defining trait of the young. When young, I remember blaming my parents for bringing me into this world that didn’t give me the things I wanted easily.
Maturing as an adult means taking responsibility for yourself, and doing the things you can do to improve your situation.
Of course one can keep blaming old people for everything until you’re old enough to be blamed, if that’s your jam.
As a GenX (xennial actually), no… GenX needs to start being held accountable for the all the shit going on in this world. They are not above reproach, and it’s high time we all call them out on their narcissistic bullshit.
“Narcissistic bullshit” is intergenerational. In fact, it has nothing to do with age. So you’re going to hold Gen X “accountable”…? Geezus fuck off. Go hold the pre-WWII generation accountable, or 19nth Century people, or the Roman Empire era folks… This whole generational gripe-fest that some of you espouse is just aimless trendy nonsense. I don’t respect it.
That’s just whataboutism.
👍
It’s exact opposite of a trend. The younger generations criticizing the older ones for not living up to their responsibilities has been just as much a constant throughout human history as the older generations criticizing the younger ones for being lazy by their parents’ definition.
The world sucks, as usual, and by now Gen X are old enough to be in charge. It’s sensible to call them out, just like in a decade or two it’ll be sensible to call out the Millennials for the same thing.
“Old enough to be in charge” is not the same as “in charge.”
Clinton, Bush 2, Obama and Trump are all Boomers. Biden is Silent Generation.
Gen X is smaller than Boomers and Millennials. We have always known we were going to be passed over in governmental power dynamics.
There are more gen x in congress than millenials, so good job just proving the victim complex…
First paragraph: yeah!
Second paragraph negates the first. You want change? Go for it. Yelling at old people ain’t gonna get you any changes. You gotta do it yourself. I remember in college, a long time ago, people in my age group lobbing the exact same complaints how grandma and grandpa didn’t make the world better for them. They complained, yet didn’t put much effort to changing anything, particularly in voter turnout. But if you look at the creeping tide of history, you’ll find things ever so slowly getting better in a bunch of different ways. The newer generations are never handed a utopia, but are certainly welcome to work at creating one.
Oh, I am aware that this dynamic doesn’t quite work. Both sides of the equation get it almost, but not entirely, right. Because getting it right is challenging.
The older generations do get lazy as soon as their own needs are met, especially those of them who wield power. And that doesn’t just mean politicians but also CEOs, large investors, etc. Working for the common good is difficult and most people follow the path of least resistance, leading to the dynamics young people complain about.
But young people fall prey to the very same dynamic. It’s easier to get disillusioned and complain on the internet than to consistently go out and exert pressure. Sure, maybe they go on a protest march or two but few have the energy to consistently go on marches, be active in politics, stay on top of which companies are toxic, openly defy the law, and do a myriad other things that don’t directly benefit them in order to fight for a better world. You can do that if you’re rich and isolated from consequence but in that case your life is cushy already so you’d be fighting for abstract principles.
There are few people of the caliber of Bernie Sanders or Greta Thunberg because it’s really hard and carries a real risk of ruining their own life. Most people who do try end up like the people who glue themselves to highways: They get ridiculed and fined and effect no change whatsoever.
So for most people all that remains is resignation. Gen X said “whatever” when they weren’t listened to because they weren’t willing to sacrifice their personal future to escalate things until change is inevitable. Millennials say “OK Boomer” as they find themselves in the same situation for the same reason.
(I’ll gloss over the “young people are lazy” part but it boils down to young people actually being lazy in terms of failing to apply themselves in ways the older people did, with the caveat that some of those ways no longer apply and young people are applying themselves in new ways the older people don’t realize are necessary now. This perception dynamic is at least as old as recorded history.)
Blaming old people is a defining trait of the young. When young, I remember blaming my parents for bringing me into this world that didn’t give me the things I wanted easily.
Maturing as an adult means taking responsibility for yourself, and doing the things you can do to improve your situation.
Of course one can keep blaming old people for everything until you’re old enough to be blamed, if that’s your jam.