I have a few remarks about the previous generations.

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Mostly about Europe although maybe it applies to America as well. I also want to say I don't mean this in an offensive way.
I'm talking about the previous generation and also maybe about the one before that mostly ranging from 40 to 70 I would say. First of all, a lot of people from those generations are not very smart, I'm not saying all of them are but I'd say about 50%. They are also people that are kinda ****** in the head because of problems in their life, from that comes depression, drinking, taking drugs, broke etc...
I'm also talking about people that are racist/redneck, against other cultures, that have a big head and have gotten arrogant. Also a lot of farmers are like this it seems.

It feels like all those people are behaving in the same way and being kind of weird

Basically I want to understand why they have gotten this way. I hope you understand what I'm saying. Is it because they're generations who take a lot of drugs and that they have gone crazy? Is it because their parents were farmers, is it something else?

I'm talking about stuff like this for example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br93QWoT5BA

They're all products of their era. I wouldn't be surprised if people who grew up during the time of segregation and Jim Crow laws still harbor some racist sentiments to this day.

Yeah, they are all subject to causes and conditions. I think the war had a lot to do with messing people up. Also the crazy education and media and social fetters. Very few people are fortunate, determined and skilled enough to raise themselves above the mire.

Do you think it's also the fact that a lot of them didn't go to school?

I think it's that too many of them dropped out of school.

People are people. Most older folks I talk to look at younger generations as rude, self-centered and unable to think for themselves. Most younger people I speak with look at older people as incompetent, foolish, and inflexible. As one of the few non-persons posting here, I see people as not knowing what the hell they are doing while rushing around looking for something better than they have now.

Yeah people are people but that's not what I'm saying, I'm talking about a specific type of person.

The only difference I see in the newer generations of America is that everyone is becoming very pacifist. Nobody seems to stand up for themselves. If something bad happens everyone gets upset... but does nothing to fix the problems. If anything I think older generations get ticked off that the newer doesn't fight back or speak out... and the older generation is too tired and old to care.

As far as the other things mentioned about drugs, stupidity, discrimination, etc. ... nothing has changed much. All of those things are still very evident in the newer generations. People don't change much

The only reason some of these things mentioned appear less evident is there are now laws to prevent them and now they are deemed unacceptable behavior... so they aren't actions that are easily accepted by the community. Where as in former generations they were deemed normal.

Edit: I realized from reading multiple posts again that this might not answer any question you have. What exactly are you asking? I'm becoming fairly blurry as to what you want answers for

The problem is that I'm not exactly sure how to put it into words. I'm mainly talking about a certain culture in Europe. So I don't think Americans can answer this.

Well, the Baby Boomer generation here in America was the first generation to think of themselves as "special". So they whine and complain when things don't go their way, because many of them suffer from a form of God complex. Sit down and watch an NFL game with these people; it's amazing how they complain about something as simple as a 20 yard gain. "Where's the defense?" "They are paid all that money" "Where's the protection" all game long. But that's what happens when you get stuck at a crappy job for 20 some years with an overbearing boss and barely enough time to raise your kids. In order to have longevity at jobs like that, you have to become more like what the corporate world wants...and that means being more selfish, and more about the bottom line, and that's no way to raise a kid. Then we wonder why this newer generation doesn't speak out at all. First of all, there isn't much to say, and second, if we do say something, we are wrong, because they are older and wiser, and that means they are correct by way of age rank. Then they want surgery to look younger

well in my own suburbia american world, i know and accept there are very diverse lifestyles, views, politics, etc across the globe that i will most likely never be fully exposed or converted to in my life. so i admit im biased and closeminded in my view of normality. i dont believe my american culture is better or worse than any other culture nor is it perfect.

i believe that in no fault of the older generations but they did lose a large number of "heroes" and counter culture individuals in their early years. Yes they did make social/political impact in how we view/treat/and respect others equally. But they did lose legends early and often that once those leaders were gone, they naturally lost their way a bit. and yes there were arguments against those "crazy in the moment" changes that their parents hated and didnt understand why it was necessary to have equal rights for women/African americans, changes in the workplace, changes in rate of pay, etc.

However, i do find fault in the older generations that once they ditched their individual freedom thinking (not codependent on drugs, etc) mindset and traded it in for the corporate sheep of life in the 80s for more money and bigger houses, faster cars. that is where they started the "fire" as billy joel says.

marketing and advertising and television became the leaders of their generation and us as the kids followed their lead. but as always they are now old and are more focused on retirement that they silently yearn and wish for the days of yesteryear. It is inevitable for every generation to romanticize their past and make it better than what it really was. I.E. we develop short term memory and/or selective memory to cherry pick those special times and events that write our life's story.

So when personal computers started showing up in business offices and only beginning in the 1990s to become the most popular necessity for communication and entertainment, we were slowly becoming united and reunited with those from our past present and even our future. Everything over time became much smaller, quicker, easier, and yet more expensive more confusing more attractive and more valuable in our lives than we could ever imagine i.e replacing the old with the new at a ever faster mind boggling change of pace.

i believe the younger generation does speak out. we just speak out differently as our communication is more social and instantly available than any previous generation before. our acts of independence and creativity can be seen by 100s, 1000s of others within hours of the expression or statement. Sure there are still those who wont speak out voluntarily/involuntarily and will gladly abide by the corporations, tv worshiping , god fearing, politically socially and morally firm. and that will never change and it should never change. the thing to remember is in the grand scheme of things, none of us are right on anything in life. its just life. its just the funny crazy game of life.

for example, the younger generation would be bored to tears of having to listen to the radio on a saturday night listening to a comedy show or sitting around with 20 of your neighbors watching the only television within a 5 mile radius. we would and should laugh about how primitive their lives seem to be but to them at that time, it was the greatest time and invention to ever be created. We could blame all our problems on the previous generations, and yes some of it is valid.

but i also cant be so arrogant to believe that although it is now a far different, more instantly united world; that my children and my grand children will one day be bitching at me and about me for the stupidity of my times and the stupidity of my generation. And no matter how we want to change the world and rid the world of maybe some of the most shallow insignificant stupid bs of life, it really can not be stopped. because unfortunately money and influence of money does run the world. if that's the only mistake of us, i would say that would be it. as a side note, just wait another 10 or so years and the baby boomers will officially be on their way out and we will have the world. technically we do have it, but until the lot of them start retiring/dying, they do own a lot of money and commercial/financial influence in the world. But it will be gone soon enough. that transfer of power will surely be noted by the media of the world, i bet on it.

Do i think we are more technologically advanced and forward thinking and more able to be aware of the problems of complete strangers around the world in a moment's notice? yes of course we are. Do i think the future of the world and the future of mankind is better for it? yes i do. Do i think this is the main complaint of the generational divide in the modern world and perhaps part of the reasons for your frustration towards the older generations? yes. but it is what it is.

sorry for being philosophically long winded. i do agree with almost all of the op's point. the older generations do annoy me very much at times as well.

I got a good chuckle over this. Younger people always have similar opinions of the older generation. At the same time, older people look at you and think you're whining, self-indulgent, clueless little s**ts.

I don't think either of those positions is very productive. As with any demographic different from yours, each of you have to make an effort to understand the other and find common ground. If you don't, then the lack of understanding is perpetuated.

My daughters are 22, seniors at university, and my two best friends in all the world. We talk all the time about stuff like this. That doesn't keep us from disagreeing about zillions of things, but we respect each other and we know how to agree to disagree without getting all pissed at each other.

Respect and consideration go a long way in this world.