Historical Generations since the late 1800s

[paltatomate]

So many people say "your generation is this" or "our generation is that". Most times it is to set themselves apart from people who think, speak, behave, dress, eat, talk, and live differently. And most times it's not meant as a compliment.

I often wonder why that is so - human nature, sure, but there must be something else, right?

Why is it so difficult for most people to just accept others the way they are, without judgment and sticking everyone into categories that are seen as "good" or "bad"?
Or to feel offended or misunderstood by something that are just cultural / generational gaps that could be easily be bridged by a simple, honest question: "What do you mean?" or "Why do you say this?"

Anyway, here's a little video that explains the different generations since the late 1800s to the future...


Sorry, only saw the "not available outside YouTube" after I posted this.

 

[alasdairm]

Or to feel offended or misunderstood by something that are just cultural / generational gaps that could be easily be bridged by a simple, honest question: "What do you mean?" or "Why do you say this?"

in this thread i suggested the bridging of an understanding gap with a simple, honest question (rather than making an assumption) and you were quite against that approach, suggesting that even a simple question can be triggering when you don't know a person's history.

help me navigate this apparent contradiction?

alasdair

 

[jasperkent]

I recently saw an article (sorry, I forget from what publication) that said there is archeological evidence of people complaining about "kids these days" from at least 5000 years ago. I'll try to find it.

 

[paltatomate]

in this thread i suggested the bridging of an understanding gap with a simple, honest question (rather than making an assumption) and you were quite against that approach, suggesting that even a simple question can be triggering when you don't know a person's history.

help me navigate this apparent contradiction?

alasdair

i see a difference between having a conversation about a certain topic with someone, and just small talk.

questions during a conversation that help others better understand something said, with the objective to avoid misunderstandings, are usually less personal, like "what do you mean when you say this or that" or "what's your opinion about this or that".
small talk questions like "what are your preferred pronouns" or "where are you from because you talk so funny" are more personal.

 

[alasdairm]

well, i think if a simple, honest question can help bridge one gap, it'll help bridge the other gap too.

but, as i have learned, ymmv.

alasdair

 

[-=SS=-]

I often wonder why that is so - human nature, sure, but there must be something else, right?

Why is it so difficult for most people to just accept others the way they are, without judgment and sticking everyone into categories that are seen as "good" or "bad"?
Or to feel offended or misunderstood by something that are just cultural / generational gaps that could be easily be bridged by a simple, honest question: "What do you mean?" or "Why do you say this?"

Fear. I think it's parallel to how people feel about psychedelics, or anything, that can expose the chinks in the ego defence that one doesn't know everything. We see others apparently operating as well as we appear to be, but under different psychologies, and that irks us because we feel that we have the right psychology.. but clearly we're both OK, so therefore the other guy has to be in error somehow and not us. And at the same time the ego fears that maybe we are the ones with the faulty psychology, so we lash out to protect our foundations.

The more open hearted and warm people are, the more they have confronted their own ego and empathized with the other guy. At least in my estimation. That's why (generally) those who have done psychedelics tend to very open hearted and empathetic to any external differences, because they have seen the relative nature of our cultural masks and also confronted the painful truth about their own ego/vulnerability.

 

[paltatomate]

those who have done psychedelics tend to very open hearted and empathetic to any external differences

i have experienced a lot of open-mindedness from people who do psychedelics, but also a lot of bigotry.
a in some cases there is/was no awareness of a "vulnerable ego".
quite the opposite.

i think using psychedelics alone can't be what makes some people grow.
there must be some predisposition to do it.

 

[-=SS=-]

i have experienced a lot of open-mindedness from people who do psychedelics, but also a lot of bigotry.
a in some cases there is/was no awareness of a "vulnerable ego".
quite the opposite.

i think using psychedelics alone can't be what makes some people grow.
there must be some predisposition to do it.

I agree. I have experienced this as well. It's also why just taking psychedelics is not 'enlightenment in a pill'. People are, for whatever reason, at different levels of ripeness.. and psychedelics can encourage that ripening. Surrender has a big part to do with it I think, being able to let go. Which comes back to fear again. Perhaps some people have accumulated trauma too, so the ego clings even tighter because there isn't much left holding the person up to begin with.. they can't afford to surrender.

 

[paltatomate]

Perhaps some people have accumulated trauma too, so the ego clings even tighter because there isn't much left holding the person up to begin with.. they can't afford to surrender.

this is very true