Generational Myopia - Seize the Historical Moment

 

“You are a product of the times as much as anyone; the generation you were born into has shaped your thoughts and values,whether you are aware of this or not.”

In more ways than you can imagine, you are born into a generation that defines your identity. There is a strong desire in your generation to separate itself from the previous generation and forge a new direction for the world. New values are formed, which are absorbed into your thinking as an individual. With age, generational ideas and values tend to close you off to other points of view, limiting your thinking. In order to free yourself from the mental restrictions placed on you by your generation, you must understand as deeply as possible this powerful influence on who you are.

The Generational Phenomenon

Each generation has its own symbols, myths, beliefs, and mindset which constitute its generational spirit. A person born in the 1890s would be different from someone born in the 1950s, and a person born in the 1950s would have a different "generational spirit" from a person born in the 1990s, etc.

Generational Patterns

Each generation inherits beliefs and ideas from their parents, but seeks to find something new. The 14th century historian Ibn Khaldun believed that history occurs in cycles over four generations.

The 1st generation: revolutionaries make a radical break to establish new values. 

The 2nd generation: seeks to establish some order and discipline after the revolutionary chaos. 

The 3rd generation : aims to build a comfortable life through pragmatic means. 

The 4th generation: are cynical and lost in a society that has stagnated.  

New revolutionaries are now primed to usher in a new order, and the cycle begins again. You need to change the way you look at your own generation. You should attempt to understand how deeply the spirit and the culture of your generation  have affected the way you view the world.

Identify the characteristics of your generation

in order to gain an understanding of its spirit in the present and to exploit it.Think about where your generation fits within the tension between early and middle adulthood. “We think we are judging the younger generation in an objective manner, but we are merely succumbing to an illusion of perspective.” How to capitalize on the spirit of the times 

The following are some strategies to make the most of generational dynamics.

Challenge your past, including your parents’ values, and try to see things from a different perspective. Take on the generations zeitgeist in a unique way: don't let your age limit your curiosity, you can be a child-like wonderers as a grownup Increase your interactions with the younger generation read the works of previous generations influence the younger generation, mostly your children, to shape the future