Are Baby Boomers A 'Generation Of Sociopaths'?
A controversial new book argues boomers are beset with egotism, impulsivity and a shocking lack of empathy — and they’re leaving the world a worse place
To the extent that millennials really are self-absorbed and narcissistic, it may be because they learned from the masters: their parents. Baby boomers ― the unusually large generation born during a wave after World War II ― grew up in a time of historic prosperity. In many ways, the world they’ll leave for their children couldn’t be more different from the one they knew as children.
Boomers blew through resources, racked up debt, and brought an end to economic growth, using their enormous voting power to elect politicians who enacted policies that typically benefitted boomers’ interests, rather than future generations. Now, millennials face more debt, fewer resources and higher levels of unemployment than their parents, and are likely to see the fallout of runaway environmental destruction within their lifetimes.
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In his new book, A Generation of Sociopaths , writer and venture capitalist Bruce Gibney puts forth the controversial hypothesis that baby boomers --- specifically the large subset of white, middle-class boomers -- are, both individually and as a group, unusually sociopathic.
Gibney cites mental health data showing boomers have significantly higher levels of antisocial traits and behaviors -- including lack of empathy, disregard for others, egotism and impulsivity -- than other generations.
Now, millennials face more debt, fewer resources and higher levels of unemployment than their parents, and are likely to see the fallout of runaway environmental destruction within their lifetimes.
All I know is that I did the best I could. But, what is one voice against so many? I worry about the world my son will inherit. As we prepare to send him to college, I'm dancing as fast as I can...
What might appear as antisocial or sociopathic is probably just our collective tired asses sittin' & sippin' ice tea without the phones. Just leave a message...
When we won WWII the country was highly motivated. We aren't inspired anymore.
Baby Boomers are the fastest growing population in the country right now and because they are living longer but no longer working they have become an incredible burden on our resources. It makes sense that they follow politics more regularly and are anxious to vote for policies that benefit them.
Makes you think that some movies such as Logan's Run may have been on to something........
"Baby Boomers are the fastest growing population in the country right now..."
How are baby boomers growing in number when they were last born in the 40s?
Baby Boomers were born between 1946 and 1964.
Cerenkov - You know what I'm saying. Since we are living longer the older generation according to the census bureau has become the fastest growing population. What is the controversy about this point? Are you going to fight me on this too?
Baby boomers are declining. It's the cycle of life.
Yes, they are. But, picking an arbitrary number of say, 65, the year of retirement, the segment of the population that is 65 and older is growing. You have to think of it like the bulge in the snake...
I thought the US hispanic population was the fastest growing?
I think Hispanics get old too
I think Hispanics get old too
True (unless, of course, they are baby boomers).
Exactly. More baby boomers are born everyday....
I thought the US hispanic population was the fastest growing?
Actually proportionality speaking Asians are growing fastest, but since there are starting so far behind Hispanics, Hispanics are winning in raw numbers.
People are aging into the system... When we were all young and strapping, we were still baby boomers but more regular contributors of society. We're still a marketing target-- all these new commercials play our music. So, we can't be too bad.
As a proud Baby Boomer I can say that we accomplished a lot as a generation. I can also say that I am happy that we seemed to have lived through a "golden age" in many ways in America and the parts that were not so golden we spent serious time and effort trying to correct. We earned our keep.
Thank goodness I'm not a baby boomer. Born after 1964, or was it before 1946....Hmmmm
Paid more into the system too...grey pride!
Grey Panthers!
Born after 1964, or was it before 1946....Hmmmm
I was born in 1956 and I remember the 60's. The 70's are a real blur though. I know I was in the Air Force for awhile then (or at least I have an Honorable Discharge) and I'm pretty sure I got married a few times. I'm not certain of all of the details 'cause I was pretty stoned most of the time.
typically the Baby boom generation consists of those born Post WW2(1946-1964) some say that those born during the war years could also be included, and there have been mini booms within those years mentioned .
The generation before , the greatest generation , faced an entirely different world than the boomers , and those that are coming after us , yes I was born during the latter years of the boomer generation. My grandparents , and parents lived through the great depression , the war years with the rationing and the things that went with both those circumstances , that generation had a certain acceptance of fatalism if we could , but they were not afraid of hard manual labor , so after the war years , they saw the job that needed to be done and set to work rebuilding a world that had been very tough on them .
The boomers of the USA were a gifted generation , I say that because the generation preceeding them did not want them to go through what they had , the feeling of needing or want of the depression , the fear of the reason the great war was fought , that generation in the US because they were on the winning side of the war had gifted themselves economically and were set up in one of the only countries untouched physically for the most part by the bombings and destruction of the war, in essence , the country became one of the untouched manufacturing centers of the globe , most of the rest of the world were not that lucky to be able to say that.
the reason I say the boomers were gifted , is because they benefitted from the generation before them going through the adversities they had and the starting of the rebuilding they started , they didn't go hungry , they didn't want for clothes , education or even work. they lived in a time of plenty and benefitted because at the time , the manafacuting might of the world was limited, by the time the boomers started working , the global rebuilding was already begun , more and more places started producing, the US of A wasn't the only "store" on the block , others had started competing for the same resources and market shares, so I don't think the resources have been diminished , there is just more demand from more places .
In another 10 years , bonifide boomers will be getting senior citizen discounts and the majority of them will be getting retirement and then they will start dying off, and the generations that follow will be facing a natural evolution that we the boomers have been watching , the global manufacturing system doing what it has been doing all along , continue to grow, the boomers could no more stop it than any generation can .
As for the mention of debt? every generation aquires debt , the difference in my opinion is how the individual handles it , my grandparents , and parents , said their goal was to leave no personal debt for their kids to have to take care of , I will do the same , and the lessons I did learn from the greatest generation and their kids ? simply be responsible for yourself .
When I die I not only will not leave debt for my kids, it will not even cost them (or my wife if I proceed her) to bury me. I have donated my body to a company that sends them to medical schools (I am sure they get a price for it) for teaching. So I will probably be a teaching corpse at a place like USC or UCLA or wherever. Of course it will be necessary to cremate my remains, which is my wish anyway and then they will ship my remains back to my next of kin and it's all for free. After that the DoD pays my next of kin $300 to have my cremated remains sent to a National Cemetery where I will be interned in a columbarium for free, complete with a metal placard, military honors, at least one active duty member of my branch of service, a folding of the flag, taps (probably recorded), etc. That way my death does some good and costs no one anything at all to dispose of my remains.
No matter if my wife dies first or I do, after the last of us die all of the remains of our estate, bonds, art collection, savings, house, etc. will all go to The AIDS Foundation and The Alzheimer’s Association. Nothing for the kids to fight over.
Every generation has it's challenges and obstacles, achievements and disappointments. I am pretty sure it has always been thus. I read an article one time about how the "older generation" at one point during the ancient Rome society felt the younger generation was spoiled rotten and was going to ruin everything their predecessors had built.
The nature of human beings hasn't changed, but the evolution of technology and the way human beings interact with each other and the environment around us changes.
When people reminisce about the 60's and say it was better they are lying. I wouldn't go back, I like the world right now.
Sociopath? Go talk to someone from the Selfie generation.