Indelible

Choice of a (bleep)ed Generation

[originally posted in "Choice of a fucked generation (edited to add content)" ]

This entry was inspired by this one "Talkin' 'Bout My Generation" 

I admit I've written off the Millennials already, even though I'm one of them. I know that we're just starting to get into the workplace, but that's where the problem lies. I admit I'm nowhere near a typical Millenial by any means. Unlike most of my peers, I wasn't happy with getting a prize for mere participation. I always felt that I didn't get anything until I earned it, be it straight A's, first chair or a job. Though it's become a lot more obvious in my 20s, I've always been ambitious and had a work ethic. I also stand by my word. When I said I'd be in band and IB all four years of high school, I did both of those things. I've gone to college, will be going back to school, have held jobs for one year or more and done a lot of other things that have required a solid work ethic. Working with a variety of generations (including my own), I have noticed that for the most part, work ethic universally interpreted the same regardless of age. The obvious exception is the Millennial generation. These lazy, selfish bastards call in sick whenever they want, show up in t-shirts and jeans even when the dress code explicitly prohibits that and latch onto any research that supports bucking the traditional workday.

Okay, some of the developments from the Millennial generation's reinvention of the workplace has created benefits for those of other generations (e.g. flex time). However, for some reason that I can only vaguely pinpoint, I like 40 hour work weeks that require me to show up at the office. I guess I better like it if I intend to go into politics, where some of the most esteemed political offices merit at least double that. I think this preference stems from a unique psychological development on my part. Ever since I learned the Aristotlean theory on role models, I've been convinced that I learn what behaviors are considered "good" by interpreting the actions of those around me as "bad", per se. My parents have their own businesses and work their own hours. Thus, I veer away from such a career path. Such an attitude has shaped my ideal workforce into something much more rigid and formal than what most of my peers want. I expected to be working at a job that required me to wear a suit every day by now. Sure, suits can be pricey, but that type of atmosphere is my ultimate goal. Though I did come to work at noon wearing jeans and listening to music before punching the time clock, I do not support that paradigm, especially now that I live in the city. This lack of formality fucks with our nation's ability to keep pace in a global society. While I do advocate the United States backing off on some policies that advocate all out global supremacy, I also understand a national reluctance to support such a paradigm shift. The three generations most influencing the nation today have known nothing but this sense of supremacy, and to let it go would be a national trauma. Like I said, I don't agree with the notion, and perhaps not everyone feels it. However, the fear of the unknown future will cause people to knee-jerk fight the notion. What's all this got to do with the workplace? The deformalization is going to bring about this shift, and it's going to piss a lot of people off. It will also batter an already unstable economy, which means by the time my peers and I reach an age where we can curry the most influence in politics, we'll be economically and politically bankrupt.

Yeah, I said the dreaded 'B' word: bankrupt. The national economy right now is flirting with bankruptcy, and unless the new faces in the workforce can't get their shit together, a bankrupt United States will finally come to fruition. Likewise, with a lack of work ethic, will my generation actually buckle down to fix this and keep Americans from rioting or otherwise losing it? Some may say it's hard to tell right now because we're just getting started. Meh. I'm not so sure about that. Most of us are still stuck in our lofty "Save the world" mindframes when it comes to political matters. Not all of us are looking at our behavior and thinking Boy, won't I be fucked later on. Perhaps this is the folly of youth I've managed to escape. On the other hand, we tend to do things in our youth that render us figuratively incompetent later on to make the big fixes. Even if we do get into office, for example, will any of us have a clue what to do with a billion dollar budget or trillions in debt? I'm not talking about all out solutions. I'm talking about a clue. The answer is no, because our credit records will be so trashed (a bad habit we continued from generations before us). We can't our anuses from the face on a $10 or Australia from North Korea. I don't have a lot of faith in a generation that, as a group, cannot define any of those things, let alone how they impact America in the 21st century politically and/or economically. The worst part is learning basic facts like this becomes more difficult the older a person gets, and retention levels require more effort to keep it up. Is my generation willing to make this effort? As far as I can see, no.

The most ironic part is, though, is the way in which I've drawn these conclusions. By taking this stance, I embody some of the social choices already defined by my generation. There are some things a generation can decide without consciously doing so. Here is just a sample of the things I've noticed.

a highly developed (maybe overdeveloped) sense of self
a mindset rooted in making drastic changes regardless of the consequences
a general disrespect for legacies
valuing efficiency over patience
supporting radical, vaguely defined ideas that have a strong chance of not working out

If you have been following my journals for the past few years, you will see all of those concepts pop up in my thinking from time to time. In my scathing loathing of my generation, I have committed all of the mental actions listed above, acts defined by my generation. If that's not irony, I don't know what is. It makes me feel like scum for being such a hypocrite, but at the same time, my new angst stems from trying to achieve my pragmatic goals without resorting to this line of thinking.

Until then, I'm slamming the book shut on the Millennials and throwing it in the Mississippi River. That river has some strong ass currents, just so you know.