It is the way of the world that our children’s work ethic
is not as strong as ours. Our collective work ethic has been driven by the
times. The more affluent the United States has become, the more our work ethic
has weaned. This is natural from two standpoints.
First, our life situation is our greatest motivator. When
we wake up each day unsure if we will be able to put food on the table, we have
an absolute, 100 percent focus on doing what we need to survive. When we have a
relatively stable life situation, with a roof over our head and stocked kitchen
cabinets, we don’t have near the same level of tension about our survival.

Our parent’s grandparents lived through the great
depression era where they had to exist day to day. Their world was one where
bread lines and tent cities were common and they would do whatever work,
wherever, whenever, to allow their families to survive.
Having grown up during the great depression, our parent’s
parents became the “Greatest Generation.” The country had mostly rebounded from
the Great Depression and people generally achieved a basic level of subsistence.

Their children grew up during a time when our country saw
significant development. The middle class that became the foundation of our country
blossomed. Our parent’s youth was reasonably comfortable and the first that had
the normalization of entertainment as a routine part of life.

While supported in great part by debt, the world we live
in today is one of marked affluence. Our children’s lives are such that an overwhelming
majority of the children on the planet can only dream of experiencing.
Why is it important to take a step back and put this all
into perspective?
We need to recognize both the strengths and weaknesses of our youth today, and do our part to help them maximize their strengths and to understand and address their weaknesses. Yes, just as we did not have the same work ethic as our parents, they do not have our work ethic.
Our challenge is to help them see the value in, and to develop, the kind of work ethic that will be instrumental their success in life. We can’t do this by bemoaning it. We can only do this by first understanding it ourselves.
Then take a productive approach in trying to help our
youth understand the world that they are coming into, and how to mitigate
against the convenience that surrounds them and understand how much hard work
is coming their way. As well as dealing with the difficulties that they will
face on their life’s journey.
No comments:
Post a Comment