I came across this article a few months ago. But, with 2016 fast approaching and everybody having hopes, fears, plans, expectations and worries for the next year, I couldn't help but think about this article again.
Why Generation Y Yuppies Are Unhappy
The article begins with a comparison of our generation and our parents. The Generation X, a.k.a. the Baby Boomers, having grown up in an environment of gross instability, had pretty low expectations of themselves. Later, when life became better owing to peace and economic prosperity, their expectations were exceeded, in turn rendering them delighted and satisfied with life. According to the author, we, the Generation Y, are unhappy because of the difference between our expectations and our reality. This difference stems from our wildly ambitious and delusional characteristics. Also, we are often taunted by a phenomenon called "Facebook image crafting" where we see the "inflated successes of our peers". This crafting technique then makes us hurt ourselves for not achieving the "lofty expectations" we laid out, thereby making us even unhappier.
What are your comments on this -
1) Are we truly unhappier than our parents?
2) In a world which is highly competitive, where being "content" is viewed as a sign of complacency, how do we make sure that we are on top of our game and YET not running ourselves into the ground?
Why Generation Y Yuppies Are Unhappy
The article begins with a comparison of our generation and our parents. The Generation X, a.k.a. the Baby Boomers, having grown up in an environment of gross instability, had pretty low expectations of themselves. Later, when life became better owing to peace and economic prosperity, their expectations were exceeded, in turn rendering them delighted and satisfied with life. According to the author, we, the Generation Y, are unhappy because of the difference between our expectations and our reality. This difference stems from our wildly ambitious and delusional characteristics. Also, we are often taunted by a phenomenon called "Facebook image crafting" where we see the "inflated successes of our peers". This crafting technique then makes us hurt ourselves for not achieving the "lofty expectations" we laid out, thereby making us even unhappier.
What are your comments on this -
1) Are we truly unhappier than our parents?
2) In a world which is highly competitive, where being "content" is viewed as a sign of complacency, how do we make sure that we are on top of our game and YET not running ourselves into the ground?
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