Is it just the kids today? I don’t think so. Boomers had similar issues with risk avoidance in the 1980’s but they had also been through the stagflation of the 1970’s. That at least explains part of the Boomer’s risk aversion.
But not all of it. Truth is, we grew up in a much more comfy, modern and entertaining world than our parents did. Our parents were convinced TV would rot our brains. Given what happened in the 1960’s, they may have been right.
This pattern has repeated ever since. We get an ever higher standard of living and an ever more terrifying looming crisis. For Boomers it was nuclear annihilation. Gen X got economic ruin. Millennials and Gen Z got global warming. We were going to all die fat and comfy in our living rooms rotting our brains on the electronic miracle of the day. Oh, the horror.
Our brains might have gotten a little moldy but none of the wholescale disasters ever materialized. There were plenty of small scale disasters and political, social and economic problems to be dealt with but so far, no zombie apocalypse. Quite the opposite. Standards of living have risen dramatically worldwide since the 1950’s. We no longer measure nuclear arsenals in the tens of thousands of weapons. We had fifteen years of no appreciable change in the climate. Okay, we also got Facebook but what do you expect in an imperfect world?
I get it. Journalists make their bread and butter by scaring the bejeebers out of everyone. Everything is blown out of proportion. Any legitimate concern becomes shadows of WWIII or a new Civil War. The sky is falling! Ack!
Give it a rest, folks.
Are there real world problems? You betcha! The world only comes in size problem. But the constant fear that the end is nigh is just that – fear. It has little basis in reality or reason.
I’m a futurist (inasmuch as I have an eschatological outlook anyway). That is just fancy for I take a literalist view of the end times described in Scripture. I also expect to be wrong. My own opinion is that future predicting prophesy that isn’t conditional is probably meant to be viewed from after the events. Not vaguely similar but as proof that the events were predicted. If I am correct, there is probably no perfect view of eschatology. If I am wrong, I’ll find out when Jesus gets here.
If you’ve ever read the Revelation, you have a pretty good idea of how scary a vision it can be. So why, if I think it is probably meant literally (as much as it can be – hyperbole is a thing) aren’t I screaming and heading for the hills? The end is obviously nigh, right?
Wrong.
Every generation assumes it knows the future to some degree. All of them have been wrong. Sure, someday, one will be right but there’s not a lot of good evidence that it’s happening now.
Assume tomorrow is the end and live like you don’t expect to ever die. Translation: be prepared.
Are you the person you want others to remember? If not, get to work on that. Are you ready if Jesus does come tomorrow? Get ready and always be ready. If an asteroid hits tomorrow, does everyone you love really know you love them? Take care of that today.
What will you be when you grow up? Decide and work toward it. How will you invest to make the world a better place? Find out what better means to you and get busy. Are you investing in your heavenly treasures? Work on your relationship with God. Are you planning to leave the kiddies a nest egg? Start saving.
Being scared the world will end is self defeating. It’s just as silly as pretending there are no real problems. Chicken Little and the Ostrich are both idiots. Neither does anything that helps themselves or others. And they are both wrong.
Assuming the worst doesn’t help solve the real problems. Hiding your head in a hole only leaves your backside vulnerable to a good kicking – which life will come along and give you.
The overreaction – either being afraid of everything or hiding from your problems – is what makes you powerless. Fear can be a friend. You want to be able to feel fear that is warranted. That way you don’t step into traffic without looking or attempt the suicidally stupid stuff. But fear can also be an enemy. When it’s constant, you get to the point of hopelessness and just stay in bed.
Hopelessness is a lie from the pit of you-know-where!
There’s not going to be a nuclear war. You can sue me if I’m wrong. The common cold is not a plague. Climate change is what climates do. Idiot college students eventually grow out of their delusions of omniscience – we Boomers did.
But we still need to deal with both Russia and China becoming insanely aggressive. Vulnerable people have to be protected or even better treated so they can stay healthy. Good stewardship of our environment is just common sense. And a visit to the woodshed would likely solve a lot of Portland’s problems assuming you had a big enough belt.
That last one is probably gonna need some work.
Point is, life comes with trouble. ALL LIVES DO. The grass only looks greener – and besides, that’s the septic tank anyway. The headless chicken act only makes life more difficult and problems more intractable.
I had patients that really, really didn’t want their parents to know that the Health Department was looking for them. Some solved the problem by calling back promptly and coming in when they said they would. Others never called back which prompted a home visit. Which group do you think usually ended up having to explain to their parents?
Neither WANTED to deal with the Health Department – who would? But the smart ones got it over with and hit the problem head on. The dumb ones ended up getting yelled at and then having to come into the clinic anyway.
We’re all inclined to be dumb that way. Especially when we’re convinced that the world is a big, scary place that is going to come crashing down. But when we look at it square in the eye and realize that it’s just a problem, not a monster, we can either solve it or endure it.
Or endure it until we solve it. Life is like that.
What are you so scared of? Don’t be. It probably won’t even happen and if it does, God is a big God and He can handle the Earth shattering zombie fighting. He can even handle a bad report card.
Be not afraid, the Bible tells us. Good advice because being scared all the time makes us stupid. So don’t be afraid. Two degrees in one hundred years just means a vacation in sunny Canada. Assuming it even happens.
Which it probably won’t.
