Boomers are pessimistic and grumpy these days according to the Washington Post's interesting report today, Baby Boomers Got the Blues Viewing Life Through Morose-Colored Glasses
It maybe a generational thing--it seems that there were a lot of us and that meant quite a bit of competition for the prizes. When we consider the optimism and excitment about the future--not getting your dream fulfilled can seem to be more of a downer for this generation than for others. A "generational historian" is also quoted to make parallels with other generations that were similarly placed in history who experienced the same sense of disappointment:It's a cyclical downer that follows many generations born after times of crisis, says Neil Howe, an author who gained fame for his theories of recurrent generational behavior. It plagued the Transcendental generation, born on the heels of American independence, and the Missionary generation that arrived after the Civil War.
"People born in times of cultural renewal tend to take an overt attitude of pessimism," Howe says.
They see their pessimism as a tonic that will wake up the world, then they just end up drunk on disappointment.
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I respectably disagree about us Baby Boomers being a pessimistic lot. I'm a Baby Boomer, and I feel that I've finally come into my own and am happier than ever. Most of my friends and acquaintances in the same age group also seem to be quite content, even if they have are having a few challenges. We seem to have discovered that most things that happen to us are not the end of the world.
I think that we are the first generation to feel free enough to follow our passions, regardless of age, while recognizing that we have lived to see many monumental changes to society. Most would say that it was quite a time, but this is quite a time as well.
I have younger friends who have told me that they wish they'd lived through the sixties. We can't be that pessimistic if others are envious.
Thx for listening.
Shirley Anderson
www.shirleyanderson.webs.com
http://hubpages.com/profile/Shirley+Anderson
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