Quote:
Originally Posted by Agamemnon
I wouldn't be surprised to find these characteristic changes to be similar across generations. Do you think the next generation will be harder working, have a lesser sense of entitlement, or be less narcissistic than this one?
The thing to put into perspective is that its presented as though the baby-boomers are the 'base line' for normal behaviour (or at least, 'base behaviour') from which 'new behaviour' is being measured. They were probably as equally independent, self-entitled, and narcissistic compared to their elders as we are compared to them.
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I'm not one to say what the next generation will be like with any sort of solid confidence, but it's also clear to me that North American values and perspectives are not shared by all other cultures around the world. North America has a distinct culture of it's own, or at least a set of cultures that resemble each other and are distinct from other places in the world.
I would agree that taking the baby-boomers as a cultural base line is inappropriate from a perspective with a little more hindsight. On the other hand, I would also suggest that a North American timeline of behavioural change is hardly an adequate base line for 'normal' human behaviour. Certainly, there is a distinct culture here. The values and perspective of 'Generation Me' are not shared everywhere in the world. Whether or not they fit in with the longterm trend of value change in North America they are still interesting as evidence of the difference of our culture and it's development under conditions not entirely shared in other places.
I still think it's interesting, because it reflects an aspect of North American culture that, to me, seems very North American.