Generation-X culture vs Boomer culture

[Marc]

So I'm hoping that someone responsible from the FAA sees this
story, and takes steps to make sure that these bugs in TSD are
fixed. It could be very dangerous to the public if suddenly
all the TSDs across the country all crashed, all at once.John

Hopefully 60 Minutes will see it, even if the FAA doesn't. —Best regards, Marc

PS: Again, as a Gen-X'er myself, I think that you have captured the regrettable essence of far too many of my generation. Early from the cradle, it was the most hideous sin among many of them, I feel, to be caught doing something that was "stupid-ass" or "totally gay" or what-not: it progressed to "go eat my shit," "go anally rape hyenas," etc., etc., as they grew up. I cannot believe just how much white-hot intolerance and white-hot hate of the most shallow, perverse nature was packed into so many of them: must have had something to do with their growing-up experiences, huh?!?

[Trevor]

Good to know the stupidity of the people in charge know no boundaries, no matter where you are. I just hope they can get their acts together a little bit before the war starts.

[falopex]

So I'm hoping that someone responsible from the FAA sees this
story, and takes steps to make sure that these bugs in TSD are
fixed. It could be very dangerous to the public if suddenly
all the TSDs across the country all crashed, all at once.John

Hopefully 60 Minutes will see it, even if the FAA doesn't. —Best regards, Marc

PS: Again, as a Gen-X'er myself, I think that you have captured the regrettable essence of far too many of my generation. Early from the cradle, it was the most hideous sin among many of them, I feel, to be caught doing something that was "stupid-ass" or "totally gay" or what-not: it progressed to "go eat my shit," "go anally rape hyenas," etc., etc., as they grew up. I cannot believe just how much white-hot intolerance and white-hot hate of the most shallow, perverse nature was packed into so many of them: must have had something to do with their growing-up experiences, huh?!?

Okay, let me say first off that I am a Software Engineer and a Gen-Xer who reluctantly admits to fitting the Nomad archetype in both age and personality. I read the earlier post about the two coders and was absolutely appalled, both by the obvious maliciousness of their actions and by the accusation that it was consistent with Nomad vs Boomer conflict. I began to compose a reply to protest that their actions go way beyond just them being Nomads. I had written a great many paragraphs justifying my case. Then I stopped.

I remembered reading about how many of the worlds worst dictators have been early Nomads, including such infamous genocidal figures as Adolph Hitler. I refreshed my memory on the descriptions of the archetypes and gave the post a reread. I realized that I was having a very typical Nomad vs Boomer anger response. I realized that the actions of these two actually pale next to the many evils committed by Hitler and others and that the behavior is, in fact, consistent with the Nomad archetype.

In the end, I must proactively retract my intended angry reply and admit that you are correct, John. That is very typical Nomad behavior. It is wrong, it is potentially homicidal, and it is absolutely downright criminal, but it is to be expected from true Nomads. I cannot and will not defend them, even though they are "brothers" to me within my generation.

I will say this, though: I may despise being caught "dropping the ball", and might even be angry for awhile about having my code "violated" by being patched by someone else, but I would never actively remove the code without discussing it with the patcher first to find out why the patch is needed...especially when so many lives are on the line. I would rather be humiliated twice over for bad code than potentially being responsible for so many deaths. I live by the first rule of software communications: *always* assume your incoming traffic is completely invalid until you have tested it and determined it to meet the defined specs. Even a Nomad coder like me should be at least that competent.

This is one Nomad who is determined to try to overcome the weaknesses of my archetype, starting by accepting Boomer wisdom when I read it.

Ray

Edit: Removed duplicate word.

[Marc]

Hi, Ray,

Thanks for the thoughtful reflections. I have been mulling around what John said about early Nomads (of which I'm one), but, specifically, those early Nomads who have been some of the worst genocidalists known to history such as Hitler and Stalin. Yes, we both know that these men represent the very worst of depraved humanity, and Hitler at least was likely already plenty screwed up to begin with. But, I do agree that it was likely the Prophet-versus-Nomad dynamic which was operating (in Hitler's case, his Lost Generation versus the previous Missionary Generation), coupled with Nomad nihilism and destruction, that was heavily key to someone like Hitler "happening."

As I stated before, I can see how something like the Columbine High School massacre happened. You had Boomer and Silent teachers and administrators who were likely focused on values and perhaps some sort of self-liberation or social liberation — and who simply couldn't imagine in their wildest dreams being themselves bullied in a way that the massacre's perpetrators were bullied. You likely also had some young X'er teachers who took the attitude, "boys will be boys" and found it difficult to take seriously or care about the savage bullying that was happening at Columbine (and at many, many other schools as well). I'm not saying that I'm glad that this event happened, but just giving a partial generational-theory explanation of why I think it happened.

Also, like you, I also admit to seeing "a lot of Nomad" in myself, such as a real willingness to really put someone in their place who wants to be a first-class a-hole, or occasionally give the finger to niceties/rules that I consider unfair. However, like you, I see a "benign Nomad" in me (at least I think so ) who wants to use "the power of X" to try to make a better world as perhaps only a Nomad can. (To add to John's discussion of aviation-safety computer coding, I could throw in my graduate-school research [regarding some financial-engineering applied research] that might make Wall Street blush in terms of its creative cajones, but is being used to not only make investing a lot easier and safer for "the 99 percent," but actually helps cut down on systemic risk as well [while still being legal]. You need a "benign Nomad" for this )

I look at the nature of generational cohorts, again, as best represented by a kind of multidimensional bell curve. Within the Nomad archetype, there is a real surfeit of destructive badasses within it, no doubt. But, you have a distribution of other types in it who may mostly still be Nomadic in their essence, but who want to help others, do the right thing, and who definitely don't want to be a protégé of Hitler. —Best regards, Marc

[John]

Don't forget that great leaders who are "good" were also early Nomads,
including Lincoln and FDR. That group might also end up including
Obama.

John

[Marc]

Don't forget that great leaders who are "good" were also early Nomads,
including Lincoln and FDR. That group might also end up including
Obama.

John

Thanks, John, for the good insights. I was kindly thinking that Abraham Lincoln was of the Prophet archetype (i.e., Transcendental Generation), and that FDR was on the tail end of another Prophet generation (i.e., Missionary Generation), although perhaps one could say that FDR was part of the Lost Generation (a Nomad generation) depending upon where one places the boundary between the Missionary and Lost Generations. But, you may have a generational boundary for these generations that differs from what Strauss and Howe use.

I do agree that Obama is a Generation-X'er and Nomad (and, like myself, not a Baby Boomer even though the US Census Bureau says that both of us are Baby Boomers). I do further agree that history may well view him as a "good Nomad," depending on how he can corral that "hope and change" and "Yes We Can" spirit promised in his campaign efforts. His being an honors graduate of the "Chicago School of Politics" may well help him to achieve this. —Best regards, Marc

[Trevor]

I admit, I have my doubts about that, although that's because my opinion of our president is pretty low.

Based on history, in terms of nomads having the worst villains, I would also put Hirohito and Togo on that list; they were born at about the right time. Saddam Hussein as well.

Course, I suppose you could say that the Lost Generation made efforts to redeem themselves in their final phase of life. According to "The Fourth Turning", they gave up comfort and material possessions so the younger generations could have a better life.

[Higgenbotham]

I look at the nature of generational cohorts, again, as best represented by a kind of multidimensional bell curve. Within the Nomad archetype, there is a real surfeit of destructive badasses within it, no doubt. But, you have a distribution of other types in it who may mostly still be Nomadic in their essence, but who want to help others, do the right thing, and who definitely don't want to be a protégé of Hitler. —Best regards, Marc

Don't forget that great leaders who are "good" were also early Nomads,
including Lincoln and FDR. That group might also end up including
Obama.

John

Seems like the Nomads tend to go out to the extremes of the multidimensional bell curve. Fat tails in all dimensions/directions. One common thread seems to be that Nomads become totally consumed by whatever they are doing, without regard to whether it is right except in their own minds. I've noticed that trait in many of my early Nomad friends - they are unable to imagine that their perceived high importance of their particular issue is not shared by others. Often times, the response by the Nomad is to go to extremes in all aspects to highlight that issue. One example that comes to mind is Julian Assange of Wikileaks. He will travel from country to country anonymously and not eat for days due to his obsession. Along the same lines, whenever the most extreme behavior is encountered in the workplace it seems to come from the early Nomad archetype, as John's story highlights. In that case, the story is every bit as appalling as described, in my opinion.

[Higgenbotham]

John's story reminds me of something I encountered when I worked for the regulator mentioned earlier and had the new Xer supervisor, the one described as a do-nothing.

I had found some violations at a large corporation (the largest company in the state, in fact), a consumer products company that naturally needed to maintain a good public image. Our files were all open to the pubic. They began a paper campaign using lawyers to try to sully my reputation. I responded to everything in such a way that the company didn't look good. An arbitrator got involved internally and ordered my top management to further document back to the company that I was right on a technical basis, and they did not support the company's stance, which they had stated verbally but were reluctant to put in writing. So all that went into the public file.

This Xer supervisor then removed all the documents from the public file that supported my work and left all the slander that the company's lawyers wrote; in other words, she destroyed government files. It's my opinion that very few Boomers at that level would do such a thing. They might do it if they were ordered by a superior, but they wouldn't want to. I'm quite sure that none of her superiors ordered her to do so.

[Trevor]

Perhaps she made the calculation that the chance of success was high and the odds of getting caught were low. Plenty of people made that in our financial crisis. She might have done so, but her superiors may have known and looked the other way, particularly if they thought it would benefit them.

I think boomers might be willing to, but more than likely, they'd screw it up and end up getting caught. X-ers would love nothing more than to bring him/her down in flames, so they wouldn't have any protection.