The baby boomer consequence

I take hours out of my day to think about the way the world works. I reach many conclusions that so-called experts do, often times before they do. So tonight before I see it anywhere else, here is a theory I came up with that smacks of true to me.

I'm sure many of us had heard it from our parents. They gave us everything, because they had so little growing up. Our parents wanted us to have the things they didn't have.

Now what does that mean, when I say there is a conspiracy there?

We are now suffering the repurcussions of that in this last generation and a half or so.

Todays child and young adults, are plagued with a new kind of abhorrant selfishness. A feeling of deserving and entitlment. In it's most extreme cases, which I see more and more of. People of this new generation have little regard for other human beings, but place high regard on getting, owning, and discarding, like everything is valueless after it's newness wears off.

Also if denied their things they take for granted, which is most things, they rage like a great social injustice has befallen them. They fight like they are fighting for the right to live. In short sightedness the obsession with instant gratifcation and social status due to accumulation of stuff, higher purposes are forgotten and ignored.

TV and Media only seem to exacerbate the problem with what is now culturally acceptable messages of greed, revenge, and glamorizing self worship. I've not seen selflessness, as being portrayed as "cool" in a long-time. I've not seen traditional values passed down as frequently. NU-Values seem to be the soup-dujour. These nu-values are reported on the media, like "Dozens stand by and do nothing as...x-tragedy befalls person"
but they never speculate as to why it's increasingly common for this to be perfectly acceptable.

I link this all together with, the more you raise your children with less hands on parenting, and more satisfaction with stuff, the less they learn to care about anything but the immeadiate, and things and circumstances that benefit them.

The generation that sacrificed themselves for their children's benefit are now cursed to pass on a well intentioned but flawed set of values.

-ADHD

It take's two sides:

The Kid

AND

The Parents


Blame can not be put fully on either. I see too many parents ignoring there kids ways and not helping them at all. Like handing them a cell phone,TV and any games they want. Too many kids are not realizing there effect on others and thinking they are king # of turd town.

Simply put people need to learn to say NO! and put there foot down and change ways are happening. Watching tv all day and checking the latest photos on facebook are not ways of changing people for the better.

I find our grandparents worked for there kids and taught them values and there future, todays baby boomers are tired and stressed out and just don't care much anymore. Not saying all of them, but sheesh...still

IMO, I think it's a bit of a stretch to say they sacrificed themselves for their children. Divorce, drugs, promiscuity, uber-careers, the decline of family values - these things were all ushered in by Boomers, as a whole.

They are, arguably, the most self-indulgent generation ever. No offense to Boomers intended. They spared no expense to pursue their quest of self-fulfillment. If they gave to their children materially, it was likely because they wrecked havoc on them emotionally.

Their legacy remains to be seen, but it is very likely it will be a bankrupted Social Security system and forever deflated home values. Boomers traded up and up but there were few buyers in the next generation to replace them - thus the glut of homes and the pursuit of ineligible mortgages to keep the market afloat.

We haven't even begun to discuss the rise of Christian Conservatism as a rebound or backlash of their rebellious youth. Or even George Bush.

I cant think of anything else but this,

It's only in our nature to kill one another,

and I not promote this

I too have noticed similar trends and it is pretty ghastly to realize that most people are consumed with themselves, but I believe everyone is to blame.

The boomers themselves are going to reap what they have sown in this case as well as others. As will we. But it is we who have the choice to change ourselves.

For things to be truly amazing and for true harmony amongst all people, which despite it's corniness, every single living being needs to make the choice to change.

Some people fear change and despise it with a passion. Some people are well suited to it.

Ive met plenty of people my age (mid 20's) and a majority are insanely consumed with being a consumer. They have no balance in their lives and despite cheery smiles, and great personalities, behind the facade is a world of chaos that resides in their minds.

Programmed like robots they are easily led by shiny things, and the latest trends. Absolutely fascinated with the material.

I was one of these robots until, after a sequence of events, realized that this is all just a ride, and nothing physical is actually real. I realized that we enter and leave this world empty handed and that living life and loving was the answer. Also truth

I suppose, from my experience, that everybody learns at their own time what it is that they need to really know. Some people seem like they have many lifetimes to go before they realize what everything is truly all about.

Boomers and Gen-X'ers and the generations beyond will have to, at some point recognize the fact that everyone is the same and that the struggle for power is truly the root of peoples problems. This life is made up of all types of energy and you see people in a power struggle all the time and it needs to end in order for things head in a truly positive direction.

Direct parenting is definitely needed but also there are many other factors that can be attributed to the dilemma associated with the constant bombardment of being a consumer. The primary lesson from public school, at the end of the day, is to be a consumer. I bet some people would beg to differ and in some cases I do, but this whole system is out dated. We need to reboot and take responsibility for ourselves.

We all have to stop depending on others to survive. We are human beings and the option lies within all of our hands, so its like, why not do things the legit way and find another way to energize our selves(there are many ways!) as opposed to stealing energy from other people.

My parents never taught me to want things, the media and school did. My parents taught me that if you wanted something you had to work for it. Physically and/or mentally.

I agree that it's not just the role of parents that cause this. It's the direction society has been pushed to in the western hemisphere.

This is true especially in countires where "Stuff" and the "Social status" associated with power, or displays of power through wealth, and priviledge are "cool" thanks to authority figures telling/showing us it is. I didn't say Responsible Authority figures.

These things serve as a hollow replacement for the overall human experience, and contact. The rush or high one gets from a feeling of reward, is a hollow one with stuff-based rewards. Then there is the high of showing off your stuff to those who may not have it.

I have discarded the thrill of ownership of stuff. What thrills me is doing something I have always wanted to. Espeically things that take personal accomplishment through dedication.

For instance I have worked very hard at being good at things which have interested me. Only some of them will ever produce a means to instantly gratify me, like a hollow stuff-based reward.

On-topic but a different direction, What happened to that gratifying feeling of doing a good deed, for it's impact on others? "Man saves life, becomes local hero" gets somebody their 5 minutes of spotlight. But when did "Man ignores pleas for help, buys brand name stuff instead become, ok?

Off-Topic, Maybe this is social engineering to curb population growth. If we become an increasingly selfish society, it means we must compete more, resulting in only the strong survive. You'd think we would have outgrown that, as higher-rationale mammals.

I suppose if mankind continued to be goodly to each other to the point of world peace, we'd have a massive population explosion unable to sustain itself. This is especially true with the world's current demand for consumable goods/resources.

As The Saying Goes, What's popular is not always what's right.

-ADHD

Look how things have changed since I was a kid,growing up most people had black and white TV sets,we spent majority of our time outdoors playing,I know it may sound cliche how we drank from sprinklers,went barefoot,shared whatever we ate or drank,worried about a meal and how much cholesterol it has in it,I've tried raising my 4 kids like I was raised but the world around them has changed,way I look at it,I did my best in rearing hope I set them off in the right direction,the older I get the smarter my parents were

Here's a Boomer's brutally honest perspective:

seekingalpha.com...

The Baby Boom Generation will never be mistaken for the Greatest Generation that survived the Great Depression and defeated evil in a World War that killed 72 million people. I hate to tell you Boomers, but putting a yellow ribbon on the back of your $50,000 SUV is not sacrifice.

Our claim to fame is living way beyond our means for the last three decades, to the point where we have virtually bankrupted our capitalist system. Baby Boomers have been occupying the White House for the last sixteen years. The majority of Congress is Baby Boomers. The CEOs and top executives of Wall Street firms are Baby Boomers. The media is dominated by Baby Boom executives and on-air stars. We have no one to blame but ourselves for the current predicament. Blaming Franklin Roosevelt or Lyndon Johnson for our dire situation is a cop out. Baby Boomers had the time, power, and ability to change our course. We have chosen to leave the heavy lifting to future generations in order to live the good life today...

I forsee a sad end to alot of boomers. Many chose not to have children or not have enough children to care for them in their last years. Even those who have saved money well have seen 3 major market dislocations in the past 20 years (87, dot-com, and current) and now are hitting retirement en mass with devalued 401ks and looted pensions. Only our total lack of immigration law enforcement leaves a glimmer of hope that the productive of us can bear the tax burden (make no mistake medicare and SSI are taxes) they will soon be. Much as they by and large quickly squandered the wealth that their frugal parents left them, they will most likely leech the fruits of their children and grandchildrens productivity until they are gone. In the end it's not an entirely bad thing. New generations will learn some of the lessons they failed at: frugality, moderation, patience, self-reliance, and achieving satisfaction spiritually as opposed to materially (boomers past 30 years) or experientially (boomers of the 30 years before that).