Baby Boomers - Thoughts?

[J T]

To think you can understand people by generation is simply a foolish idea. There is far, far, far more difference within the individuals of a generation than there are differences between the generations.

The FOX news reporter tells a story of a student having his parents call his college profressor because he didn't like his grade. As a university instructor, I've seen this happen too, but it's extremely rare that it ever does (like I've seen it maybe once or twice in the past 5-6 years I've been teaching. In fact, my opinion of students in the recent couple of years is that most of them are scared shitless by how competitive the job market is in the middle of our economic crisis that they work their asses off more than the students of 4 or 5 years ago. And let's not forget that the baby boomers have been just as accused of being entitled by the generation before them because they grew up in a period of economic prosperity.

The whole concept of defining people by their generation just smacks of ageism to me. Yes, each generation grows up with a set of shared experiences, but your personality is more shaped by genetics and the specific social contexts you grow up in. The larger social sphere of influence has less to do with determining an individual's core personality characteristics.

[Luke]

The whole concept of defining people by their generation just smacks of ageism to me. Yes, each generation grows up with a set of shared experiences, but your personality is more shaped by genetics and the specific social contexts you grow up in. The larger social sphere of influence has less to do with determining an individual's core personality characteristics.

I may be taking this more to the heart than I should, but keep in mind that I volunteer at assisted living homes and I have a deep respect for our elders. It's not the stories they tell that astonish me, it's the way they tell them. It's never, "I had to eat oatmeal for dinner for six fucking years", rather "From I was six to about twelve years old, we ate what we had, and that was oatmeal. Sometimes we would have corn grits, and if we were really lucky, the market might have chicken...."and then the guy tells you a five minute story about how good that chicken was and proceeds to tell you a war story. (I'm going off on a tangent but I suddenly realized that almost every elderly man I've ever met was in some war. Isn't that the opposite of the way it would be?). That in mind:

There's a reason there is a generation defined as "The Greatest Generation". Or perhaps I just like old, intelligent, and engaging people who grew up in an actual depression all while they redefined western culture and made the United States the main economic powerhouse on Earth.


But you do bring up the argument of nature vs. nurture, which I find silly. Said shared experiences is what molds a being and their personality, not genetics. How do I know? I don't, just a logical gut feeling. Want to prove me wrong? It's easy. Clone Hitler or Osama Bin Laden, raise them in a nurturing environment and see how they turn out.

If the shroud of Turin still has dna available, why not try to clone Jesus (I'm being flippant, but holy shit could you imagine what would happen if some announced "Yup. Tryin' to clone that Jesus fellow)?

Yes, predispositions exist, but that's only what they are. It's an experience that triggers them.

[J T]

It's nature and nurture, obviously. That's why I said genetics AND the specific social contexts you grew up in. By specific, I mean your family, friends, locale. I don't think the history that cuts across your entire generation globally distinguishes you from everyone else. It's true that older generations have experienced things the younger have not, and are therefore different for that reason, but I really dislike this discounting of young people simply because they weren't alive to see the hippy movement, or World War II, or whatever. Sure those were important time periods, but just having been around during those times doesn't make you radically and fundamentally better or worse people.

[Luke]

Sure those were important time periods, but just having been around during those times doesn't make you radically and fundamentally better or worse people.

Agree 100%, but those experiences certainly made them appreciate what they had more.

I'm also not out to judge, to me it's more about the tone of a generation. As you said, it's silly to judge an entire generation, but there are , like it or not, stereotypes that exist.

It's hard to even think about the 40's without thinking of



All encompassing, every generation has somewhat of generalization to it. The 70's were a lot more than Woodstock, but that's what comes to mind to people when you ask them about the 70's.

[BoringSupreez]

One thing you have to consider about baby boomers: who was it that was responsible for raising today's entitled generation of late teens and twenty-somethings? They dropped the ball there.

I don't think they are a drain on our economic system, but I wish they'd start retiring faster so that others (like... me) could take their place.

[gtmtnbiker]

It's hard to even think about the 40's without thinking of

You should read some of the articles/books published around that time and you'll see that it wasn't all that great. There were plenty of people who wanted the US to stay out of the war and during the war, were complaining about rations/restrictions/etc. It wasn't all "We're all doing this for a great cause" feeling that we have today. As time goes on, a lot of the negative things/feelings seem to get forgotten.

[Luke]

It's hard to even think about the 40's without thinking of

You should read some of the articles/books published around that time and you'll see that it wasn't all that great.

That was my point.

[J T]

It's nature AND nurture, obviously. That's why I said genetics AND the specific social contexts you grew up in. By specific, I mean your family, friends, locale. Your generation plays a much milder role than any of the others. The history that cuts across your entire generation does not globally distinguish you from everyone else from a different generation. It's true that older generations have experienced things the younger have not, and are therefore different for that reason, but I really dislike this discounting of young people simply because they weren't alive to see the hippy movement, or World War II, or whatever. Sure those were important time periods, but just having been around during those times doesn't make you radically and fundamentally better or worse people.

[MrPopo]

I may be taking this more to the heart than I should, but keep in mind that I volunteer at assisted living homes and I have a deep respect for our elders. It's not the stories they tell that astonish me, it's the way they tell them. It's never, "I had to eat oatmeal for dinner for six fucking years", rather "From I was six to about twelve years old, we ate what we had, and that was oatmeal. Sometimes we would have corn grits, and if we were really lucky, the market might have chicken...."and then the guy tells you a five minute story about how good that chicken was and proceeds to tell you a war story.

I wonder how much of that is "they appreciated what they had" and how much of that is gaining perspective after 60, 70, 80 years? Think back to the crazy drama you or someone you knew went through in high school with regards to popularity. Now that you're an adult you have perspective and it no longer seems like a life or death struggle. Maybe when they were kids they were ranting about the unjustness of having to eat oatmeal for six years, but now that they're older they instead focus on the fact that they didn't starve, and there were treats now and again.

[cookie monster]

I grew up being raised by a baby boomer who enstilled hard work and values in me just as his parents did him. When i wanted my first truck i learned a valueable lesson on christmas morning. He told me there was something outside for me i ran out and there were 2 pickup trucks in the yard. One was a 87 ford the other one was a 72 ford fixer upper i had the choice of which i wanted. I chose the 72 when i turned around to hug him he handed me a bill of sale and said he would accept a check since i was family. Alot of baby boomers can't afford to retire do to the prices of there meds. No one should have to choose between food or medecine that and a lot of older people will tell you they fell apart after they retired.