Will Gen Y be a Hero Generation?

By: Nick Tasler
Obviously, we’re in a crisis. Obviously, it sucks. But this might be just the crisis Gen Y has been groomed for…if not destined to overcome.

Nine years ago, in their book Millennials Rising Neil Howe and William Strauss argued that every 4 generations a “hero generation” is born. The last such generation of heroes was the band of WWII brothers (and sisters) known to most of us as Grandma and Grandpa. They were followed by the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Gen X and then—four generations later—Gen Y.

Each of these hero generations is raised by adults that are deeply concerned about the youth. Their parents believe that the world they know is just one more generation of wayward youths away from total collapse. So the parents take especially close, nurturing care of their children. In such times, parental neglect becomes sacrilege, and these children are constantly reminded that they are the future.

Then at some time during the hero generation’s young adulthood, crisis strikes. These crises—the Revolutionary War, Civil War, WWII—provide the catalyst for this special generation to step up and carve out their destined places in history. Strauss and Howe called the crisis the “hero trial.”

Gen Y’s Hero Trial In our case, the concerned parents are Boomers. The first wave of wayward youths are the Gen X’ers. The hero generation is the Gen Y’ers.

What I found so remarkable about Millennials Rising is how eerily prophetic it was. Corny as it sounds, goose-bumps literally sprouted up on my arms while reading it this morning. It predicted a coming crisis sometime in the “Oh-Oh’s” (i.e. between 2000 and 2009) that would act as the Millennials’ hero trial. Keep in mind, this book was published a full year before 9/11 and eight years before the recent economic meltdown. Nostradamus couldn’t have scripted it better.

Although hopeful, the question Strauss and Howe posed is: Will the Millennials pass their hero trial? Psychologist, Jean Twenge doesn’t think so. In 2006, she wrote in Generation Me that Strauss and Howe got it all wrong. She argued that Gen Y was more narcissistic and self-serving than Baby Boomers ever dreamed of being. She did some very convincing research showing that Gen Y college students scored way higher on Narcissism scales than Boomers did when they were in college. She also pointed to the poor youth voter turnout in 2000 and 2004 to show how Gen Y was not at all concerned with civic virtues like Strauss and Howe claimed. Instead, she argues that Gen Y cares as little for the world beyond their individual cocoons as Gen X, and even less so than Boomers.

But then came the 2008 election in which Gen Y mustered up a higher youth voter turnout than in any election since 1972 when 18-year olds were first granted the right to vote. Now that a crisis has unfolded it would be interesting to recheck the narcissism numbers. Just as Boomer young adults rebelled against the values of their parents and triggered the Me-first mindset, isn’t it possible that circumstances have caused Gen Y to choose their own new path as young adults?

In the spirit of transparency, I was born in 1978, which according to Strauss and Howe (1982-2000) makes me a Gen X’er. According to the Pew Foundation (1976-2000) that makes me a Y’er. Regardless of where I objectively fit (if it’s even possible to make an “objective” generational cutoff), I consider myself a recovering trophy kid. That makes me both optimistic and a little nervous about what I consider to be my generation’s ability flourish in the hero trial. I’m sort of nervous, because everything I’ve read about the entitled Gen Y’ers in the workforce, I can relate to. Such as the time when, within the first two months at my first job at the 60,000+ employee global consulting firm, I outlined what I was certain the global new hire training program should look like. Then I demanded that one of the firm’s partners look at it. I never did hear his response to the idea, but I can only imagine what he thought of me personally. Had I not learned to smooth down my entitled trophy kid edges, I would be mostly useless right now.

On the other hand, high self-esteem has significant benefits if based on some real ability that Gen Y definitely has. I’m also convinced Gen Y has the right ideals—valuing collaboration over individual gain; humility over hubris; learning over being “right;” and practicality over idealistic masturbation.

The verdict of the hero trial will depend on 4 questions:
1. Will we be able to translate unbridled optimism into effective action?
2. Will the weight and duration (could be years) of this crisis eventually bury that optimism altogether?
3. Will we become so disillusioned with the state of the world that we choose to withdraw from it instead of holding strong to change it?
4. Will we get defensive when critiqued, or will we learn to do what’s necessary to become influential in a world we might not care much for at the moment?

A few years ago, John Mayer said that he and all his friends were “waitin’ on the world to change.” I think the time for waiting has passed. What do you think?