The Fourth Turning - What we Millennials are Stepping into and the Legacy we will Leave

[@GenerationApollo]

The Pentagon recently released a report detailing potential threats to national security. Among them were “very elderly congressional leaders who are desperate to hold onto their power.” This makes sense when you consider the fact that many of our leaders are showing obvious signs of cognitive decline but they’re not vacating their positions. Your assessment of the boomers’ mentality, and the reasons for why they’re acting the way they are, makes this report even more terrifying. God help the millennials, they’ve got their work cut out for them.

[@Sapwolf]

Did the Pentagon put as the #1 threat to national security.....the PENTAGON?

[@GabrielBacon]

50+ perfect of the federal budget goes towards benefits for seniors. Social(senior) security raises, Medicare, Medicaid, federal pensions, etc. The wealthiest generation of people to ever walk the earth, continually voting themselves more money and benefits.

[@thekingofkingsrp]

And yet a lot of these younger people vote for them.

[@wringw]

Some interesting insights here. I'm an early boomer (1949) and I always wondered why my parents were so cold which seriously affected myself and my brother who are also pretty cold emotionally. My dad fought in the war. I never made this connection before

[@RadicalAlignment]

Glad I was able to help. Your parents went through some serious stuff, as I'm sure you did too

[@0xC47P1C3]

Your parents saw the brutality of war and how cruel humans can be towards one another. No wonder boomers were all about free love. They were tired of bloodshed

[@ChurchofCthulhu]

It wasn't just the war, it was the brutality of the times in America, and the continuing brutality of the world that still goes on today. Most of history, sadly, is "kill what you hate and fear."

[@MarkZuckerberg-cu6dk]

It’s funny because I’m a millennial and I feel like my parents, overcompensated for their cold parents. Like almost obnoxiously asking about my feelings. And I’m grateful for them. But there’s a time and place to “feel” emotions. I can’t let my emotions control me when dealing with stressful situations at my job. I see boomers just explode not being able to temper their emotions.

[@SalvaGer-bs4zw]

A war that was unnecessary. A war that was - in fact - a special military operation. WW2, yes. WW1 too. A war that was an option. But there were other options too. Like now, with Russia vs Ukraine.

[@nematarot7728]

Fascinated to see how these cycles unravel with increased lifespans. Imagine elders who only increase in purview, instead of passing away!

[@ChurchofCthulhu]

That's why we need UBI, otherwise the newly rejuvenated Boomers with sit on Social Security forever and keep sticking us with the bill. LOL

[@gold-818]

good point also it is theorized that the first 150 year old might have been born already in 1950 based on the rate of expanding lifespan technology.

[@william6223]

​@@ChurchofCthulhu My opinion is UBI is problematic also. I believe the better system requires reciprocity. Just because I am an organism and an human does not mean, without effort, I add value to Our World. When People have no ambition or sense of personal responsibility, I cannot see this is wise. On the other hand. Society needs to reciprocate fairly towards those who produce compared to the most who are lazy. I am a practicing anarchosyndicalist. Reciprocity is a fundamental aspect of our beliefs. A general problem with socialism is most people are not productive, they steal and grift.. remember how it used to be during the Soviet Union. In North Korea, people will quickly be murdered by the state if they do not produce sufficiently. Also in NK, a lot of useless and mostly meaningless busy work. Which, is why I live by natural law and mutualism.

[@ilovetech8341]

Lifespans are declining, not increasing. Infant mortality skewed the numbers. People used to live longer once they survived childhood or war.

[@gold-818]

@@ilovetech8341 The United States has been gaining about 1.25 years every year since the end of covid even before then we gained 2.10 years every 5 years so I don't know what you are talking about. Also 2024 broke the record for the most amount of centennials on the planet.

[@mr.wonder8168]

I read the 4th Turning a few years after it was published. I have read it multiple times over the years and always have a copy as a reference. I recommend thinking of it as a forecast, not a prediction. They forecasted the 2008 financial crisis with tremendous accuracy. We are in the middle or just past the middle of the 4th turning. The crescendo has yet to be revealed. The contributions and sacrifices that the book forecasts to be made by Gen X are often not taken into account. Gen X will provide the "Grey Champion" and the pragmatic frame of mind to help the millennials reshape the future. Very interesting point about the PTSD of the GI generation and its effect on the home life of the boomers. I had never even thought about this effect. It also seems to me we estimate the apex of the generations at too early of an age. Each generation seems to be maturing at a later age in life. Things I thought might happen with the millennials in their late twenties, early thirties, do not seem to be on-course until their late forties early fifties. The books by Toynbee, "A Study of History" are really good for a perspective of these cycles over all human history. His books are very dense but just the first book of the abridged series is very good at incapsulating the longer cycles of civilizations. You can skip to the chapters about the decline of civilizations and it is a description of ours today. He understands the great lengths of time, hundreds of years, these declines can take. Toynbee points out a similar time to our cycle, the "Tyranny of the Dominate Minority." I asked GPT4o to help me explain the concept. Yes, I'm familiar with Arnold Toynbee and his concept of the "Tyranny of the Dominant Minority." Arnold Toynbee was a British historian known for his 12-volume work "A Study of History," where he analyzed the rise and fall of civilizations. The "Tyranny of the Dominant Minority" refers to a phase in the life cycle of a civilization. According to Toynbee, as a civilization matures, it can develop a small, elite group that holds significant power and influence. This dominant minority gains its status through specialization and often through control over cultural, religious, or economic resources. This concentration of power can lead to stagnation and decline because the dominant minority may become more interested in preserving its own status and privileges than in the well-being of the broader society. This misalignment can result in social unrest and contribute to the eventual decline of the civilization. Toynbee identified historical examples of this pattern, including in ancient Egypt, where a priestly class gained significant power. The concept can also be applied metaphorically to fictional settings, such as the power struggles depicted in "Game of Thrones." I am glad you took the time to read the Fourth Turning. It is informative but also at times a little depressing. I have been trying to build optimism by thinking about the First Turning and how we can prepare for what the new structure of society will be. I appreciate your time and energy focusing on a positive and abundant First Turning. Peace

[@leversofpower]

Excellent and well thought out response. Also mentioned elsewhere is that society often collapses due to an overproduction of elites. Which goes well with the over credentialing of our society. Put simply too many college degrees.

[@mr.wonder8168]

@@leversofpower Thanks, it is the eternal reoccurrence of all things. All this has happened before and it will happen again.

[@brianhershey563]

Wow, just perfect 🙏

[@andrewjones2222]

Boomers will provide the “Grey Champion,” not Gen X.

[@piobmhor8529]

I’m a boomer. On behalf of my generation, I would like to apologize for how much we f*cked up. We were raised with “stop your crying or I’ll give you something to really cry about” distant and cold parents, that’s not an excuse but rather an explanation. Personally, I rebelled not as a hippie but rather as a classical Libertarian; all I ask is to be left alone, don’t infringe upon my rights and I promise not to infringe on yours. Although we were instilled with the Great Depression/WW2 work ethic from our parents, that didn’t seem to translate into the way we voted. We wanted “free gimmes”, at the cost of debt. I can’t help but think of that G. Michael Hoph “hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times”. Unfortunately I don’t think I will be around to see the fifth turning, but I do not see it being an easy road.

[@RadicalAlignment]

I was just listening to Peace of Mind by Boston and it sounds like y'all were trying to get out of the rat race decades ago but never figured it out. Makes sense that boomers are a bit jaded

[@joyce7892]

My father had the "board of education" he used if we needed something to cry about. If I cried, he would tell me to "dry up." Spank me so I'd have something to cry about and then dry up. What the heck?! I was afraid of my dad, but I think many of us were afraid of our dads.

[@RadicalAlignment]

Yeah the "pay the trauma forward" trend was cringe

[@vzuzukin]

Gen-X forgotten and passed over in the narrative, as per always 😎

[@tracy419]

It's ok, I don't need that kind of attention 😄

[@pdxnych]

@@tracy419 Agreed. Noted in my comment as well 🤣

[@MarkZuckerberg-cu6dk]

Y’all did make the best music, so you have that!

[@madebyporter]

Yah had freaknik

[@genxjack72]

The name GenX is a placeholder for a generation that never got a chance to define themselves, were raised by narcissists, and were dirt poor in early adulthood despite working 60 hours a week. As GenX, I've accepted my generation will never get the chance to carry the torch and pass it on, and will be forgotten. All I can do is plant seeds for trees I'll never be able to enjoy, in order to help some subsequent generation I may never know.

[@RebeccaEWebber]

I haven't even finished the video yet but I am SO HAPPY you are talking about this!

[@SearoyJenkins-od2do]

Gen Xer here. Just trying to keep my head down until I lift it for the last time.

[@stevenrose7775]

Your explanation of the quiet household really hit home for me. I am a late Gen X, and my parents were boomers. My grandfather fought in WWII in Europe. I remember my father talking about how he had to be quiet in the house; that my grandfather didn't like loud noises. Interestingly, my father when I was in trouble wouldn't raise his volume when angry, but just his tone was this really nasty tone and I knew I was in trouble for real. My dad just never made loud noises if he could help it. Another example, I asked my father once why this his old Yahtzee game (box lid) and dice cup were felt-lined... it was because the shaking of the dice and rolling them out on the board drove my grandfather crazy. So my dad lined it all with felt to quiet the game. And it's no surprise that my father and I never had a deep emotional connection. He just didn't show them (unless I was in trouble :D)

[@TheNickWilkinson]

My guess is that the turnings and economic patterns will gradually expand as life expectancy continues to grow. Each generation will have more time in power to promote their collective worldview.

[@whatintheworld9434]

life expectancy isn't growing

[@TheNickWilkinson]

@@whatintheworld9434 In the recent short term (2019-current), life expectancy has decreased. With that being said, life expectancy has gradually increased for thousands of years and will continue to do so.

[@-MakeItGood-]

Both of my boomer parents HATE loud noises almost pathologically so.

[@CYI3ERPUNK]

good stuff dave ; my family is late gen-x/early millen , we have tried to speak to all of our friends/family both older/younger and we have found few that want to think/care about any of the coming changes , so now we do what we can to prepare ourselves ; will probably be moving within the next few years as the global situations develop

[@StephenGriffin1]

Another GenXer here - I'm loving the chaos; it appears to be a ladder of some kind. 🔥

[@RadicalAlignment]

Spotted Petyr Baelish

[@Bill-mn1mn]

I think the different cycles we go through collectively are like the 17 year Cicadas (all part of that particular generational wave) but individual experiences can be closer to any of these epochs. As always love the topics you surface 🙌

[@pdxnych]

David, love these videos and happy to see The Fourth Turning discussed and applied to this time of upheaval and vesperance! But as commented by others and something I've observed consistently in Millennial narratives - Gen X (the Nomad archetype) is omitted almost entirely and mentioned only once in passing here. While the topic here is focused on the current position and legacy of Millennials, I think their story might be better understood when all four archetypes are taken into account in relation to one another. Particularly after the Awakening period, when the Nomad archetype have been the vehicle transporting the Millennial to fight during this Crisis Block, while also helping shape a generation (Gen-Z) to become adults in a (hopefully) post Crisis period. Incidentally, I believe Strauss and Howe also named us, the Nomad archetype (not the Hero) as "the fixers". 😉 Also, um...whatever. I guess we don't really care anyway...or something. 🤣

[@thesimplicitylifestyle]

It's time to break the cycle! 😎🤖

[@CaliforniaPaladin]

I think your grasp of the ideas in Howe’s work is imperfect. I see you falling into the same trap that many millennials make when reading his books - “hero” generation doesn’t mean that’s the generation that steps in and saves everything. The people in leadership positions during WWII was the Lost Generation - the Nomad generation that preceded them, or Gen X in today’s constellation. I think your work is much better when you fully digest things and take your time to post your thoughts. I think shooting a hot take from the hip, while satisfying a certain demand, doesn’t play to your strengths. I personally also prefer the less breathy, indoor videos.

[@TheMaskedMeower]

To all my fellow gen-Xers.... While the boomers forget that they need us to wipe their butts, and the millennials forget that we built all the things that they take for granted, we're also going to be the ones who will bear the heaviest load of navigating the fourth turning, because we're the only ones with the intestinal fortitude to get it done.

[@jaridatkinson4907]

Yall did? Interesting

[@kristabistaify]

I rly don't mean to be mean, by most gen xers I know are burn outs, drug addicts, or dead cuz of it. They seem huge into escapism and apathy rather than fighting.

[@TheMaskedMeower]

@@kristabistaify Then our plan is working perfectly - that's what we want you to think. 😼Seriously, though, just because we'd *rather not* get involved doesn't mean that we *won't.* From the second book, page 360: "Nomad generations ... have always been the ones that lose ground in wealth, education, security, longevity, and other measures of progress. Yet they have also been the generations that lie at the fulcrum between triumph and tragedy, the ones who hoist their society through its darkest trials."

[@markmurex6559]

I'm a gen-X'er, and I do not approve this message. The 'We are better than you' mindset isn't good.

[@influenceIPM]

Absolutely 100% true about PTSD in your video! Thank you for sharing!

[@Haast1225]

I remember talking to my mom after school one day when I was in 8th grade. I looked back at the achievements of the GI generation and the major events of that time, I looked at my classmates and thought to myself, how are we (effectively a group of careless brats) going to do anything of any value (hindsight I had a superiority complex). All of that being said it seemed impossible to me at the time that anything of significance would happen in my life that we could rise to the occasion. This conversation took place in May 2001, and 4 months later the USA and (western world by extension) became a fundamentally different place..... 23 years later I could not have imagined the challenges that we would be tackling. I went to grad school in 2010 (the great recession was still impacting us all so it seemed like a good idea), and have spent ten years building my career. Honestly at this point, I am just exhausted watching the world unravel. That being said... Reading some of the comments on this video, it seems like I'm not the only one from our generation who feels this way. It actually helps a lot knowing that we are all tired. The final decade of the 4th turning (Strauss-Howe projected this would be from 2008-2033) seems like it will be truly brutal. But we can right the ship and hopefully instill the beliefs into future generations to stay the course. Typing this out was the first time in months I have felt even the least bit optimistic.

[@briankempoutdoors]

I am a millennial. I believe in the need for a balance of order and chaos. We must have the chaos of individual freedoms juxtaposed with the order of preventing corporate lobbying and prevention of slave markets entering our free market.

[@-Brendon-]

Very nice description I like the order and chaos oscillation.

[@Stroporez]

This is an amazing context info on generations and their circumstances.

[@vermadheeraj29]

I was literally talking about this very cycle of generational experience and mindset with my students a few weeks ago. Glad to know I came to similar ideas. Will have to read the fourth turning to ruminate more on this subject. Keep up the great work. We need this more than we realise it.

[@rvanbeau2009]

First time in my life I ever had an explanation why my dad would get triggered every time I made a loud noise.

[@jennifersamson8397]

I find this interesting too! Although neither my parents nor grandparents are veterans. In fact, my parents (Boomers), were both musicians. I wonder if Boomer musicians came from the few non-veteran households and if that says something about the "Rock'n'Roll" ethos? Also, British invasion... the British were in WWII also, but not sure if the dynamics were the same there? However my husband (elder millennial) is very sensitive to sounds, and I'm not really sure why (being an only child might be part of the story). He is an immigrant from Eastern Europe though, so again, I don't know how all these co-hort ideas play out in other parts of the world? US only has 5% of the world's population.

[@rvanbeau2009]

@@jennifersamson8397 May dad was 12+ during WWII when the Germans occupied the Netherlands.

[@TwinFishAudio]

We're born into a generational cohort sure, inner work though, to find our who we really are, transforms that cohort into a mindset. cPTSD as you pointed out will prevent swathes of previous generations doing that work and perhaps that's why we're stuck. Since AI looks to be doing the heavy lifting down the line our role as a species seems to be to evolve emotionally, spiritually to usher in a new paradigm of consciousness. I would be unsurprised if that drives machine consciousness too and we join in the middle.

[@djdamashii670]

Thank you for making this video. I have been feeling and saying so many of these things for years, and I have literally been telling all of my friends that Millennials are the generation that is supposed to save the world lol.

[@rvanbeau2009]

Getting ahead of himself. Gen X is next at manning the controls of the ship.

[@AaronCole]

Gen X'er here. I've had the pleasure of experiencing life with the Greatest Generation, Boomers, other Gen X'er s, Millennials and Gen Z. I'm not convinced Millennials are the ones that are going to be the "fix-it" generation. They tend to be too self involved. Case in point "Me...and others...like...me". It's going to be Gen Z. They're the fighters. But right now they're lashing out at everything, in every direction. They're determined to be contrary. The Greatest Generation are all but gone. Boomers are fading fast. It'll be up to the few Gen X'er s there are and Millennials to try and guide Gen Z in a more productive direction...if they'll listen. 🤷

[@amandaprokop6155]

As a millennial, I have always understood and related more to my greatest generation and silent generation grandparents than my boomer parents.

[@jeremiahhill6047]

My wife and I are Gen X and raised very much like the stereotypical ideas that come out of that. We have 4 Gen Z kids and I'm here to tell you this. They are a combo of what we were growing up but more quick on their feet. I've seen retorts come out of their mouths that cut deep as quick as a snap of your fingers. Ours are extremely intelligent because we made the decision to get them out of government schooling. They are forced to interact with adults in person. There are have been several times adults are stunned by their answers simply because they have been taught how to think rather than being told what to think. I see hope for our dragon slayers and the peers they hang around. It's my own little world so your mileage may vary based on your area and observations.

[@jeltoninc.8542]

I find a lot of Gen Z to be extremely intelligent, they just have what can only be described as a “weird vibe” that is sometimes uncomfortable to be around.

[@dunmwarupreachan4567]

I think in order to break the cycle. We have to not be so authoritarian, so Z and Alpha don't feel an emotional urge to destroy new systems we create. I don't know how to do that, but I think we can figure out a way.

[@weredragon1447]

Is there an "Invisible Generation"? Cause that's what my generation (Gen X) actually is. My daughter is on the tail end cusp of the Millennial Generation (1995). She's smart, savvy, strong, hard working, and in terms of maturity, leagues beyond where I was when I was her age. I did everything I could to be everything my "Silent Generation" mom was not. And she is everything I could hope for in terms of leading the charge into the future. Don't underestimate us "In betweeners" we are mighty.

[@mr.wonder8168]

There is an excellent edition of Esquire Magazine, May 1985, that editorializes us as 'The New Lost Generation.

[@JohnSmith762A11B]

@@mr.wonder8168 Yes, this seems right. A a generation we in GenX have been written out of the broader cultural conversation for most of our adult lives. And it continues even as we are of the age now where we are being (very reluctantly and slowly) passed the baton of power by the Boomers, who continue to cling to life and power with incredible tenacity. That baton in many instances will be passed over us and straight to the Millennials. We don't get no respect.

[@paulsinob]

GenX completely ignored again. We're used to it. Seriously though this was good.

[@chillmegachill]

I think u guys just did drugs and made music. Pretty decent generation. But not impactful.

[@0piumaeternum]

y’all are just boomer-lite

[@jeltoninc.8542]

Gen X is sort of what I would call “the forgotten generation”… it’s odd really.

[@chillmegachill]

@@Daniel-Six because population size, millenia is the biggest cohort. So its not saying that millenials are gonna be the heroes. Its saying that millenials have to be the heroes, as they are the majority. If not, then millenials just fucked over future generations.

[@chillmegachill]

@@Daniel-Six Nah. Dave is a cool guy and I appreciate that he is thoughtful, but he is by no means an arbiter of truth, nor a representative of millenials. Being a millenial myself, I don't see any hope in millenials being the ones to change things. My peers are not insightful people. And yes, Millenials do have a savior complex. Millenials have different ideas than boomers, but all their solutions are still boomer solutions unfortunately. In other words, Millenials don't have the answers. And they never will. Because their brains are not shaped in the way that is necessary to come up with the right answers. I think it is Gen Z and beyond, and I don't even think they'll fix the world on purpose. I think they're just going to be the way they are and society will have to shape itself around that new paradigm.

[@jaredangell8472]

I am a millennial and I don't see us being heroes. I have never seen a shred of heroism in our generation. Cowards all the way down.

[@jnew7622]

Oh gen is just starting to enter adulthood and access power, wealth and wisdom. It probably won’t be another 10 years till we start to see our gen toss our weight around.

[@jaredangell8472]

@@jnew7622 WTF I'm 43

[@jnew7622]

​@@jaredangell8472 Exactly. Most Bosses, CEOs, politicians, ect, dont come of age till at least 45. The world we live in now is run by men in there 70s. Putin, Biden, Trump ect. and even then it takes years for polices and influence to take place. Your at the beginning of the M gen. Most M are in there 30s still. In other words just beginning young adult hood. The average M cant even run for president let alone have enough power to make actual change in the world. Wait till our peers on the path to power, influence, wealth, ect reach their 60s. And with people living older it may not be till our 70s when we are able to really toss our wight around. Bob Iger, Disneys CEO is 73 who influences most of hoollywood.

[@ohnoitisnt]

This was an insightful deeper look into the good men hard times cycle. Thanks

[@reeserichardson8377]

4th turning is the perfect time for us in the younger generation to buy the dip

[@lisayoder5686]

I am a member of the overlooked because of the massive ones around us, gen x. But, I look at the world as my millennial children do and empathize with what they are having to deal with because of the boomers and too many x-ers destroying everything in their path out of selfishness. This was so interesting and I would like to find out the actual name of the book that you read for this vid. Generational discussions FASCINATE me to no end...they are usually right on target with everyone I have known throughout them all.

[@amir.healing]

Very interesting, thank you very much for the interesting summary.

[@randywhitmore7517]

I think you should also read the controligarchs.

[@Sab_MJsMama]

Yessir. I grew up in a quiet home which is unusual for a black family. My father enlisted in the Army (drafted?) so this makes sense. A lot of trauma from them...one parent is, dare I say, narcissistic. I would venture to say the whole Boomer generation is, as a Gen Xer.

[@terrymusch9581]

Brilliant overview David, thank you. I predict the Gen Alpha to Gen Delta, an 80 year cohort/saeculum is where true transformation will occur. You are spot on about repetition compulsion. I think AI is going to force conscious parenting as a portal to shifting from adaptive workers in compliance to conscious creators with a purpose. The corporatocracy-oligarchy complex devolution will swing the Gini Coefficient significantly. Thank you so much for your commitment to moving beyond Comfortably Numb. 🙏😇

[@jekyl-gaming]

Anyone who lived through WWII or the civil war would probably laugh at the current "crisis" 🤣

[@dansdiscourse4957]

Um, the excess deaths from Covid are close to the number of combat deaths from WWII on a per capita basis

[@jekyl-gaming]

@@dansdiscourse4957 are you really comparing the impact of Covid with ww2?

[@dansdiscourse4957]

@@jekyl-gaming I'm saying that just with COVID this Crisis has already racked up a million excess deaths, and we're not done yet. I don't think that's anything to laugh at.

[@jekyl-gaming]

@@dansdiscourse4957 what do you think about ww2 though? The hollocaust, infrastructure destruction etc

[@dansdiscourse4957]

@@jekyl-gaming I freely agree that we haven't seen a conflict on anywhere near the scale of WW2. On the other hand, in October of 2021 the WHO estimated that India had had 4.7 million excess deaths up to that point. Does that sound like a fun time to you? Mind you that was in the space of less than 2 years

[@FushigiMigi]

I sense a tone change in the past few months to be more realistic rather than overly positive. It’s hard to take people seriously when they are only positive. The ai revolution’s biggest challenge will be if people can understand these concepts from history, psychology, evolutionary psychology, etc. otherwise, this technology will enslave us even worse.

[@chrishuber9448]

Old people are rigid and grouchy and look at younger people as soft. Has always been so. Doesn’t matter what generational cohort they belong to. In the 60’s, the boomers believed they were the hero generation that had to fix the world the older generations messed up.

[@RadicalAlignment]

There are records of ancient Romans bitching about "kids these days" so yeah it's nothing new

[@mavince]

This got me thinking. What if the seasons aren't so much the generation itself as it is the phase in life any given generation is in. So someday, millennials will be in that season of being the rigid grouchy generation and some other younger generation will be the hero generation.

[@theintegralstage8140]

There are a good number of Gen X folks who have been thinking about these things for a long time - not just the generational stuff, but the complex challenges we confront, the mounting crises, the uncertain future, the nature of consciousness and intelligence, the ontological and epistemological roots of our civilizational mess and our wicked problems, the metatheoretical models and meta-paradigmatic orientations necessary to move forward -- so it is sort of frustrating to watch Millennials walk a lot of the same ground and think they are inventing it all, or are the first to really get down to trying to do something about all of this. And this isn't a remark about you, David. I love your work and think you're doing great stuff. But speaking in broad generational terms, yeah, the utter invisibility of Gen X in all these considerations is not only a meme-like joke -- it's sometimes pretty frustrating and can be a cause for early baldness...

[@devlogicg2875]

I love Dave's Hunger Games forest videos.....

[@aurisnow]

Agreed. He just Xd gen X like we are just a letter that could define anything, that passed on the torch. I bet that's the Gen that's going to show later in the game where we should head to.

[@kuakilyissombroguwi]

Is GenX a silent generation then? I notice people barely take them into consideration. They feel very invincible.

[@RadicalAlignment]

Yes, "Fight Club" was the quintessential OG nihilistic and cynical outlook by Gen X. Gen X is the "I'll believe it when I see it" generation because it is the smallest cohort and was around during the collapse (e.g. the rise of neoliberalism and cyberpunk).

[@britttullos8119]

You nailed it brother.

[@dalerohling5989]

So, what happened between The Baby Boomer’s “just shut up and deal with it” and The Millennial’s “just keep talking but don’t deal with it”?

[@verabeara2106]

The 'f! you all i'll deal with it myself' gen x happened.

[@william6223]

I am born at the end of the boomer generation. The answer is to have a fair system which limits upper power and does not tolerate all out chaos and heartlessness. How do we get there? Firstly, we need another constitutional convention. As many human archetypes and ethnicities must be involved. There needs to be no less than probably 1500 delegates from each state. The 150 or so major issues which a society must attend to is then filled with 10 delegates for each committee within the Committee for Concerns

[@william6223]

Communicating with honesty is essential. Acting with zero sum competition must be disallowed. Only anyone of good faith is a delegate. I am not a communist, but an anarchosyndicalist. For me to abide and stop living on the fringe and avoiding complications, I need the following: Mutual Respect No rushing Honesty Personal productivity for self sufficiency. I do not want to be given things. I am a natural born tradesman. The collectivists harm my life, generally. Freedom is essential.

[@william6223]

We need a Left/Center/Right/Independent coalition against continual wars and corruptions. This coalition will also support peace and mutual prosperity/sufficiency. People have physical needs. Which is food, water, shelter, stress free home, self understanding, and homeostasis with one's body...perpetual chaos and wars work against this. I do not know how we parse all of this. I have been working on this problem for 5 decades, which is why I am writing here, for you all. The foundation for the new polity, for a country of freedom and universal justice, must be based on truth and honesty and mutual respect. Seriously, it has to be. Also, can we end the meanness, the tit for tat argumentation style? Let us have conversations with compassion?

[@jessevanderhamm]

You couldn’t be more right about boomers being spiteful. My boomer dad got so angry that I told him “no” when he told me to do something, I’m 37 by the way, and he had a friend from church, who happened to have literally just joined the force a month or two prior, and my dad apparently had been telling this guy for months about all the names I call him and how abusive I am to him, keep in mind, I’ve never once in my entire life have ever said “I hate you” to my parents or ever even spoken a swear word at or to my parents, not even as a teenager. My dad was so angry that I told him no about something totally frivolous that he waited 3 days and then had his buddy from church go to my house with a warrant to arrest me and take me to jail. Why you ask? How? Because I do all the landscaping at my parents house, I take care of their horse and two lamas and rabbits, and I also do the electrical repairs and other handyman jobs that need done, I also do other things for them but those are the main things. Well, my dad gives me a tiny amount of money, which I just consider reimbursement for all the equipment and seeds and materials to do whatever work needs to be done at their house, not that he gives me even close to enough. But I consider it my responsibility since they are my parents and family should be everyone’s priority. My dad hadn’t payed me for a few months and I asked him and he just wanted to give me a tiny amount of cash from his wallet and I told him I preferred a check to keep records, mostly because if I write it down, he guaranteed tells me I’m making up numbers. So, I wrote myself a check for about 1/10 of how much he owed me. That way he would have a record of it in his bank account and couldn’t tell me I was making up numbers. He lets my mom write with his checks, he lets my sisters all write with his checks, so I did too. And he didn’t have any problems with it for about 4-5 months. Then when I told him “no”, he waited three days, because that’s how long a warrant takes, and he had his church buddy come and arrest me because my dad wanted to press felony charges against me for fraud since i used his checks. I had to spend 2 days in jail, and the worst part was that I found out later he was expecting me to be in jail for an entire months because he thought if he didn’t pay my bail then I’d have no way to get out. But luckily they let me out under my own recognizance and didn’t need to pay bail. But I have court in a month and he still hasn’t dropped the charges. I keep analyzing everything and trying to understand why he’d do this to me as his son and the only thing I can come up with is the only way he feels like a real man is when his children fear him. The whole thing seems to ne cathartic for him because he’s been in such a good mood ever since I went to jail. It’s like he’s been dealing with this grudge he’s had against me for something I did that I didn’t even know what is and when I told him “no” he just lost it. Point being, you couldn’t be more correct about boomer parents being spiteful. So now

[@notmyrealname7634]

cringed very hard when you referred heros "like me, or people like me"

[@Billy4321able]

It's important to note that on even a group level you have to take a more intersectional approach to analyzing the generational archetypes. Race and class play an important role into how people were affected by these generational trends. I'm sure there is some validity to the overall idea, but I don't think it's super productive to label a whole generation like that. We should expect the best from everyone in society, and not rely on a specific generation to solve all our problems. We are a whole society and we can't absolve ourselves of responsibility by thinking this way. The last thing we need is a savior complex.

[@pointerdogmarketing2197]

I'm either a very late millenial or a very early gen z. I'm a March 1996 baby.

[@stephennorako1807]

Our burden will be to disband social security while still still paying into the system so that gen x can have a comfortable retirement. Then once all of our debts are paid off gen alpha will reinstate social security and restart the unsustainable debt cycle because “ its the right thing to do” 😂

[@BuildingMakingDoing]

Gen Xer here. First off: you got this! Second: what do you need from the rest of us to help make things right? Third: do you think the concepts you discussed are an American/Western thing or are they global?

[@leversofpower]

Don’t assume all the tools you have now will be at your disposal to reshape after the crisis. Even the definition of words will change.

[@williamwinkelmann8554]

Structured thinking... you did a good job and im subscribing. You are interesting. Just dont go too far :)

[@MilushevGeorgi]

Generational ptsd comment are spot on

[@dionisis5206]

Boomers were never sent to wars. Gen X paid that price for them. That's why there are so few of them.

[@weaver6182]

Great insights. How do you see ideas of the 4th turning coalescing with post-labor economics, de-globalization, climate change, diversified media narratives, and technology enabled autonomy? Historical lack of collective access to competing narratives and cultural homogenization/commodification allowed for consistent propaganda to facilitate these generational distinctions.

[@GenX1964]

10:00 Yes and I honestly don't recall PTSD being mentioned once in The Fourth Turning and the usual take on GIs is how seemingly unaffected they were psychologically compared to boomer nam vets and the serenity the GI's demanded in their new suburban lives and homes is real and Remember in The Fourth Turning and often when Neil Howe talks he brings up What Elder Lost Gen People Said About The Greatest BEFORE The Greatest Had Their Time To Shine. Good Kids But Soft. Far More Protected Than WE WERE as kids. Collectist as young adults. Things Like That. See it's the same exact generational archetype relationship as GenX to Millenials. Last. Point. Fourth Turnings Are A Crisis By Definition. Every Generation Has A Role To Play. Boomers' Job Is To Think Great Thoughts. Millenials Job Is To Do Great Deeds. Gen X's Is To Manage All The Chaos. Zoomers. Who Are All Still Basically Children. Be Safe. Keep Tour Head Down. WATCH. LEARN. HELP WHEN YOU CAN.

[@andeglenderson5240]

Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos Gen X.

[@Earth_Jitsu]

Spot on.

[@dakforest5344]

I've never in my life heard the Millenials referred to as the new greatest generation... We'll see.

[@paultoensing3126]

I grew up outside of time looking in.

[@nesano4735]

Whatifaltist's new video about Karens leads me to believe that generation is actually pursuing order, but the wrong kind of order. Example, calling the cops on kids for playing outside.

[@RadicalAlignment]

Yeah, the boomers have become the "tell on everyone" generation. It's not order so much as bucking the system and gotchas. Keep in mind that the boomers love feeling like they are screwing someone over. Whether it's calling HOA, the police, or HR. It's because they are constantly rebelling against their authoritarian parents (who are mostly dead by now)

[@edvvardcash6109]

As a millennial I don't think our generation will right the ship, I'd expect it to be gen Z or possibly gen alpha.

[@crisper1614]

As a millennial I can absolutely say we are not the hero’s. We are not the new “greatest generation. If anything, we’re the next boomers. Gen X is absolutely the new silent generation. It’s up to Gen alpha. God help us.

[@darinbasile6754]

GenX’r and I want to fix stuff!

[@olivers-g4021]

I wonder if increasing lifespans and people having kids later in life could lengthen this cycle. For example some gen x people are having gen A kids, which lengthens the generational cycle of trauma

[@rewindcat7927]

Nice 👍 I really should read this. It has sort of a woo-woo reputation but I suppose that is not deserved.

[@colto2312]

good rant

[@MrSchweppes]

Of topic question: Ilya Sutskever wanted to build a superalignment system by 2027. Do you think he was pretty confident we will have ASI by 2027?

[@DAFascend]

Absolutely

[@misterprince912]

I’m a millenial and I want to believe we will be heroes but I don’t see it happening.

[@jonm1999]

Bumpy mcbump!!!

[@theknave4415]

The Silent Generation wasn't so silent. Riots, hippies, protests, bombings all over the country, etc.

[@Recuper8]

AGI, the next GI generation

[@henram36]

Aaaaaand once again Gen-x doesn't matter. We never really did I guess.

[@RadicalAlignment]

That's the point: the new Silent Generation, and also a much smaller cohort.

[@tracy419]

Am I supposed to feel like a victim? 🤔

[@barsenovic]

Should the cycle be broken ? In other words, do you see a way that is possible where we actually develop a way to connect with the future generations and set up the world together in anticipation?

[@jonyngvesyland5461]

salute, bro

[@otorishingen8600]

Gen-X is the hero generation The whole damn modern infrastructure comes from visionaries out of that generation

[@tommiest3769]

David, where are you walking?

[@RadicalAlignment]

Outside

[@jeremywvarietyofviewpoints3104]

The best Shapiro on KZbin.

[@dadsonworldwide3238]

It's a huge era of transition coming to pass We have achieved all our goals liberated marginalized groups leaving only criminals and individualized the world on the back of native family cells all the way back into the classical world. This computational plow was always the goal to repay the family. It's more complex than that. Esoterica America had the right plan to mechanize and one day build out a computational future but it was slow and had to educate serfs in the morning slaves in the afternoon and convince everyone to change and adjust. Still reeling from being forces off the land into city's to meet factory demands a Mass displacement immigration from Europe while Germany proxies the north east and west uk proxies the south all these new pre war immigrants didn't understand or have patience for slow cooking longer-term solutions. Then the ww2 stiff you address does adopt top down rule European political scale that every classical immigrants fled. But under temporary waiver of being raised in war to do adopt prayer logic conservative whatsboutism vs cursed rationalism progressive interventionism top down rule. Reagan and thatcher extended it.

[@jasonfredensborg7646]

X

[@leadfarmer7308]

LOUD NOISES

[@tomdarling8358]

GI grandpa's generation. Engineer survived D-Day. Although he did take shrapnel in the neck. Trauma for sure, but he wore it well. One of his sons, 1 of my uncles, was in the navy. They took damage. He survived, that man gave no fucks. Very headstrong get the job done. This particular fourth turning will be different than all others. There is a shift in the standard cycle. AI No other generation before has had access to this kind of power. The wheel. The boat. The cannon. The light bulb. Combustion engine. The electric motor... We're considered massive shifts in technology. Knowledge has always meant power. But this is a different kind of tool set. Let's just hope it turns out truth seeking... I'm about done with all the bullshit. I hate being lied to. X 🧠🧨🎆🌋💥🗡🛡⚖️ ✌️🤟🖖 🤖🌐🤝 🗽🗽🗽

[@kamlaarora5640]

As for Now, sir! boomers to next, taking strongholds whersoever sound : hardy : soft and on, have faced the future; women have also done well. N e x t! Setting the things well requires new pattern of society!……the next topic of our request! sir?

[@vicnighthorse]

The German baddies were in the "greatest generation" too, no? For WWIII which it seems we are entering, even if it is mostly 5th gen warfare so far, gen z, will be in 'the barrel' as much if not more than the millennials. As far as the the GI generation facing 'impossible' odds, that is absurd. It only looked like it at the beginning because it is hard for people to see the context when going through something. The allies, especially the US, had most every advantage and would really have had to screw the pooch to lose that one. I fear we are heading into an more of an analog of WWI not WWII and that will be worse I think.

[@dragoon347]

I miss the uniform shirt. 😢

[@paultoensing3126]

GI stands for Government Issue.

[@Geromino.1]

Boomers are just old Yuppies, always living beyond their means to impress.

[@thekingofkingsrp]

I am sorry but I think we are going to lose this time. We have put too many nations right into each others arms. We are going to have to learn to live under a new order.

[@MichaelDeeringMHC]

GI stands for government issue.

[@RadicalAlignment]

They said "General Issue" in the book.

[@ryzikx]

it stands for gastrointestinal

[@chadwick3593]

I thought it was General Intelligence

[@MichaelDeeringMHC]

@@RadicalAlignment I was going by my military experience.

[@enigmaticdogma8392]

Not sure if labeling ANY generation, Millennials included, as a "Hero" Generation is such a good idea. Sounds a little like idolizing something based on what period of time it was born to. Idolizing overemphasizes the Good but ignores or omits the Bad and the Ugly. We need the contrast to form a more complete perspective. Ego can be useful but not if we develop some kind of delusional "Savior" Complex. I don't believe any one generation or person is going to fix everything. The problems we face requires multiple solutions from multiple perspectives. The days of one authoritative voice over all is falling into disfavor. In the end, labeling one generation as the "Hero" separates that generation in the minds of those who belong to it. And it may cause that generation to ignore what other generations have to offer, because the Ego believes only THEIR generation has the correct answer. Acting very much in the same ways that you've outlined in the Boomers. Interesting video it gave me a lot of food for thought, great stuff. Thank you!

[@winstonchen78]

Obi Won Kenobi - boomer generation Han Solo - rebellious Gen Xers Luke Skywalker - hero/ millennial generation

[@RadicalAlignment]

Obi-wan was already old in the 1970's, so he's actually the war veteran GI generation.

[@winstonchen4140]

@@RadicalAlignment I was thinking in context of the story versus the age of the actors.

[@runvnc208]

I've never disliked a video of yours before but on this one I have to. This is just pure ageism and it is very harmful to our society. It doesn't matter that overt ageism is extremely popular on reddit and everywhere else. "Boomer" identifies ALL people in a certain very broad age group. Pre-judging such a massive section of humanity is the worst kind of ignorance.