memes

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.

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.)