Another great column from Philip, this time musing about what I think are relentless human drives toward taxonomy, hierarchy, and territory. We are relentless classifiers, whether as botanists or philosophers; ordering the universe helps us make sense of the chaos, carving nature at its joints such that being on either side of a birth year makes a supposed difference. But we don’t stop there. We then rank-order our categories - as in “The Greatest Generation” or even “Best Columns by Philip”. Finally, we mark our territories, either with uriniferous perimeters or simply by saying, “Okay, boomer” - a thinly veiled, “Piss off”.
Interesting analysis of the way we've started to think of ourselves as members of distinct generations and can tend to view others in this way as well. I agree that we do not all fit into constrictive generational molds that can be divisive and ageist. Let's try to focus on what unites us instead of what keeps us apart as humans with basic needs and rights, including mutual care and compassion for eachother no matter what our age, gender, economic status, sexual orientation, etc. We are all neither greater nor less than the other and all have the beauty of the devine within and around us. Let's try to see and recognize that beauty in all of us whether young or old or in between and love eachother with the humanity we all possess. My children are Generation Alpha, Generation Z and Millenial, my husband and I are Generation X, my parents are/ were Baby Boomers, my grandparents were from the Great Generation. Many of my dearest neighbours are from the Silent Generation. I love them all. P.S. As someone who grew up in Sweden, I'm not sure the generational distinctions work in a multicultural society like Canada where our formative experiences can be very different independent of birth year.
Good piece, thank you! But what if you appear to have more behavioural traits of another generation? Although chronologically, I’m a Boomer, I mostly get branded with an ‘X’ …a ‘throw-forward’? A ‘futurist’? Or just…immature? 🤔
Strauss and Howe date the Boom as 1943-1960, making the first wave 17-27 in 1970. It is true that late Silents were involved in the 1960's activism, but the 1970's activism (eg Patty Hearst, Squeaky Fromme) was pretty much Boomer
The term comes from Nixon who talked about the Silent Majority, i.e. not those radical kids (Boomers). Since we already have the Greatest Generation term for the Depression & WW II generation, the one sandwiched in between got the Silent moniker.
the most important details in Philip’s pub photo here: 1) the mystery of the photographer’s identity (the red wine drinker); 2) the woman in the background, hemmed in by men (being judged? or trained?) under the sign of the heart
There are also plenty of people born on the boundaries between these generational markers who don't fit neatly into either of them. I was born in 1999, so I'm not a millennial, but I'm also not really Gen Z, either, or at least I don't feel that way. Gen Y has been posed, but it hasn't caught on. It's all an overgeneralisation, as you say.
I’m Generation X - but I don’t like being pigeonholed like that, so I agree with you! I don’t know that people my age actually roll with change as well as media would have you believe. I do know that my kids’ generation has already been undervalued and they’re about to improve the world for all of us! I have great expectations of them and I’m excited for them to help move us forward.
Another great column from Philip, this time musing about what I think are relentless human drives toward taxonomy, hierarchy, and territory. We are relentless classifiers, whether as botanists or philosophers; ordering the universe helps us make sense of the chaos, carving nature at its joints such that being on either side of a birth year makes a supposed difference. But we don’t stop there. We then rank-order our categories - as in “The Greatest Generation” or even “Best Columns by Philip”. Finally, we mark our territories, either with uriniferous perimeters or simply by saying, “Okay, boomer” - a thinly veiled, “Piss off”.
Very good piece. Of all the appellations I might apply to you, "silent" is not one of them.
Interesting analysis of the way we've started to think of ourselves as members of distinct generations and can tend to view others in this way as well. I agree that we do not all fit into constrictive generational molds that can be divisive and ageist. Let's try to focus on what unites us instead of what keeps us apart as humans with basic needs and rights, including mutual care and compassion for eachother no matter what our age, gender, economic status, sexual orientation, etc. We are all neither greater nor less than the other and all have the beauty of the devine within and around us. Let's try to see and recognize that beauty in all of us whether young or old or in between and love eachother with the humanity we all possess. My children are Generation Alpha, Generation Z and Millenial, my husband and I are Generation X, my parents are/ were Baby Boomers, my grandparents were from the Great Generation. Many of my dearest neighbours are from the Silent Generation. I love them all. P.S. As someone who grew up in Sweden, I'm not sure the generational distinctions work in a multicultural society like Canada where our formative experiences can be very different independent of birth year.
For the record, shitfaced or not, i am not danish, i‘m from Norway. One of the downtrodden colonial subjects of our danish neighbours.
I hate labels! It's lazy and says more about the labeler than the labeled.
Good piece, thank you! But what if you appear to have more behavioural traits of another generation? Although chronologically, I’m a Boomer, I mostly get branded with an ‘X’ …a ‘throw-forward’? A ‘futurist’? Or just…immature? 🤔
So glad you are active on Substack! Linda Holt from Liverpool, Nova Scotia.
Strauss and Howe date the Boom as 1943-1960, making the first wave 17-27 in 1970. It is true that late Silents were involved in the 1960's activism, but the 1970's activism (eg Patty Hearst, Squeaky Fromme) was pretty much Boomer
The current generational schemes descend from Strauss and Howe's generational theories I wrote about here.
https://mikealexander.substack.com/p/generational-cycles
Silent Generation is an odd term given that they were the main players in "The Sixties."
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-misconception-about-baby-boomers-and-the-sixties
The term comes from Nixon who talked about the Silent Majority, i.e. not those radical kids (Boomers). Since we already have the Greatest Generation term for the Depression & WW II generation, the one sandwiched in between got the Silent moniker.
the most important details in Philip’s pub photo here: 1) the mystery of the photographer’s identity (the red wine drinker); 2) the woman in the background, hemmed in by men (being judged? or trained?) under the sign of the heart
I like the last quoted comment in your piece. That person and I are kin. (Oh. Maybe that commenter was me.)
There are also plenty of people born on the boundaries between these generational markers who don't fit neatly into either of them. I was born in 1999, so I'm not a millennial, but I'm also not really Gen Z, either, or at least I don't feel that way. Gen Y has been posed, but it hasn't caught on. It's all an overgeneralisation, as you say.
I’m Generation X - but I don’t like being pigeonholed like that, so I agree with you! I don’t know that people my age actually roll with change as well as media would have you believe. I do know that my kids’ generation has already been undervalued and they’re about to improve the world for all of us! I have great expectations of them and I’m excited for them to help move us forward.
I look forward to your weekly posts. I always learn something. Thank you.