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Gen x, Boomers, Millennials, etc are they personality types or just examples of those ages?

Generational labels like Gen X, Boomers, and Millennials represent cohorts of people born within specific timeframes. We’ve been made to believe that these cohorts tend to share certain characteristics due to the historical and social contexts in which they grew up.

• Age cohorts:
  • These labels primarily define groups of people based on their birth years.
  • For example, Baby Boomers are generally those born between 1946 and 1964. Generation X follows, covering those born between 1965 and 1980. Millennials, or Generation Y, were born between 1981 and 1996, while Generation Z includes those born from 1997 to around 2012. The youngest emerging cohort, Generation Alpha, consists of those born from approximately 2013 onward.
• Shared experiences:
  • People within a generation often share significant historical, technological, and cultural experiences that can influence their values, beliefs, and behaviors.
  • These shared experiences can lead to some common traits within a generation.

However, my question is: didn’t boomers once behave like gen xers, millennials, and so on when they were younger?

I mean isn’t there some fluidity of generational behaviors? Here’s a breakdown of how that applies to generational cohorts:

• Youthful Rebellion and Change:
  • Every generation, when young, tends to push against the established norms of the older generation. This is a natural part of societal evolution.
  • Baby Boomers, for example, were known for their counterculture movement in the 1960s and 1970s, which challenged traditional values. This included things like protesting the Vietnam War, and pushing for civil rights. Those actions where very much actions that younger generations exhibit.  
  • So, yes, in their youth, Boomers exhibited behaviors that are often associated with younger generations: a desire for change, a questioning of authority, and a focus on social issues.
• Life Stage Changes:
  • As people age, their priorities often shift. Responsibilities like careers, families, and financial stability tend to take on greater importance.  
  • This can lead to changes in behavior and a greater acceptance of established norms.

Although I believe the economic, social, and technological conditions throughout the different time periods change and affect us. I feel like overall the majority of humans don’t change much from previous generations. They may talk different, dress different than generations before, but the core is pretty much the same. Unfortunately, many are still easily manipulated by fears both real and imaginary.

Boomers as a group get a lot of criticism. Calling an older person, “Boomer,” has become akin to a slur. However, I can’t help asking if we all eventually become Boomers? Especially to the Millennials, Gen Z, Alpha, etc, I wonder: will they behave the same as their elders today? Is it inevitable? What do you think?