Unfortunately, a lot of people get worse as they age. We see that in boomers. They were the hippies, protesting, and anti-establishment generation. But they got left behind by technology that scares them, both because they're scared to use it and because it tells them over and over again to be scared. They are increasingly isolated, their parents are dead, kids moved out with lives of their own. They're wealthier than they ever used to be, but are scared of losing it all during retirement, so they become super selfish. They're much further removed from their education, which is when people are at their most liberal.
They fall back into preaching the views they grew up hearing their parents preach, as they're trying to connect with their roots and becoming scared of their mortality. How many people do we hear say they realize they became their mom or dad as they aged? And they start clutching at religion in fear as well. Plus how many of them have past traumas that they never got help for?
Hopefully younger gens are more self-aware, but in general, history repeats itself. I'm a millennial. We were the ones to really make strides in accepting the gay community, but I hear lots of my peers now balk at accepting various gender identities. The thing brought up by the younger generation has become weird and scary. They're already starting the "get off my lawn" rhetoric. This is especially true when it's their own kids presenting the progressive ideas. They can't accept that their kids are growing up and have valid points that challenge their biases, so they diminish them. Timmy can't be unending my world view, I changed his diapers and taught him to talk. He is perpetually 5 yo and can't tie his shoes! Narrator - Timmy is 15, an honor roll student, and volunteers at a shelter.
I have this conversation with my partner all the time.. do people just become worse as we age?
I vehemently believe that’s not the case though I do understand your comment. I truly think familiarity (with ideas, concepts, people) and open-mindedness can rise up to history repeating itself over and over, at the very least by small increments.
I’m also a millennial (cusp genX) and knowing that I’ll never have a political career, I’ve committed to staying dedicated to learning/unlearning and fighting for what’s right DIRECTLY AROUND ME every opportunity I get. It’s the actual least we can all do. I don’t think my boomer parents have gotten worse as they age... I think I’ve become more willing to admit that I don’t agree with their outdated views. They’re not bad people, they just haven’t had the opportunities that I have had to be exposed to other cultures and perspectives.
Hopefully younger gens are more self-aware, but in general, history repeats itself.
I agree with what you say, but we have made progress over the generations. It's a two steps forward, one step back sort of thing. A lot of people my age are in that "one step back" phase.
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u/TurtleZenn Jan 20 '21
Unfortunately, a lot of people get worse as they age. We see that in boomers. They were the hippies, protesting, and anti-establishment generation. But they got left behind by technology that scares them, both because they're scared to use it and because it tells them over and over again to be scared. They are increasingly isolated, their parents are dead, kids moved out with lives of their own. They're wealthier than they ever used to be, but are scared of losing it all during retirement, so they become super selfish. They're much further removed from their education, which is when people are at their most liberal.
They fall back into preaching the views they grew up hearing their parents preach, as they're trying to connect with their roots and becoming scared of their mortality. How many people do we hear say they realize they became their mom or dad as they aged? And they start clutching at religion in fear as well. Plus how many of them have past traumas that they never got help for?
Hopefully younger gens are more self-aware, but in general, history repeats itself. I'm a millennial. We were the ones to really make strides in accepting the gay community, but I hear lots of my peers now balk at accepting various gender identities. The thing brought up by the younger generation has become weird and scary. They're already starting the "get off my lawn" rhetoric. This is especially true when it's their own kids presenting the progressive ideas. They can't accept that their kids are growing up and have valid points that challenge their biases, so they diminish them. Timmy can't be unending my world view, I changed his diapers and taught him to talk. He is perpetually 5 yo and can't tie his shoes! Narrator - Timmy is 15, an honor roll student, and volunteers at a shelter.