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Comment by manv1 | Hacker News Reader

"What’s more, Gen Z’s older friends and colleagues, the millennials, do not bring with them the messages of hope they inherited from their Gen X forebears"

Messages of hope from Gen X? What is this author smoking?

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For real. I’m Gen X and don’t know anyone my age into their career at all, let alone foolish enough to worry about being productive for someone else.

While I wouldn't go that far myself, as a fellow GenXer I remember it was us in the early 1990s who were viewed as the generation that was uninspired by work or the prospect of a career. Like Linklater's 1990 film "Slacker". Or Smith's 1994 film "Clerks". I think a lot of things that are assigned to "generations" are really just due to age. Younger people aren't that into work, often because the intro-level jobs they have aren't that exciting or lucrative. But that's fine because they don't have much in the way of expenses or dependents. As people get older they get more into work both because the work is more engaging and that they actually have expenses and responsibilities.

> I think a lot of things that are assigned to "generations" are really just due to age.

This. So-called "Generations" are nothing more than marketing names, completely arbitrary slices of time. At this point, the only purpose of generations seems to be to write media stories about generations.

There's actually a great deal of diversity within generations. Demographically speaking, kids mostly end up a lot like their parents. There are trends over time, but those trends tend to move slowly.

I also feel like it has something to do with the aging process itself, perhaps biochemical. When I was younger I just wanted to hang around and try to find girls to fuck. The idea that I would enjoy working was crazy to me. Now in my 30s and with a family, work and contributing to society starts to seem more interesting rather than just something I half-ass for the money. I'm not totally sold on it yet but maybe in another 10 years I will be.

> being productive for someone else.

Marxist alienation is in da house.

Don’t have to go that far. I’m productive when doing my own things, but if I’m taking a salary, my productivity is my employers concern, not mine.

Seriously, forgive me while I compose myself

I'm a millennial that gives their gen X brother a place to live... his life was a continuous reminder that hope [where we grew up] was misplaced.

I succeeded despite everything

Although Gen X is categorises by apathy and cynicism, subsequent generations still feel that Gen X just managed to squeeze in with the boomers before the door narrowed. Especially regarding property prices.

A lot of it is probably just timeless inter-generational resentment but it doesn't help that boomers still haven't retired and caused a logjam.

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