Too scared to fail: Millennials aren't starting businesses

[Paleo]

I was at a business conference this week and one of the main speakers said "Whoever learns how to lead Millennials is going to win." But he offered no suggestions on how to do that. I don't know and I don't think he knows either. Especially since the industries we are in involve physical work which is done outside. I'm sure Millennials consider this a violation of some UN human rights treaty.

I do have a lot of hope for Gen Z though. Judging by what appears online their activist cadre has a remarkably sophisticated understanding of what was done to the generation before them by the oligarchs (media, tech, finance) and they are pissed off.

 

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[Steven D.]

I totally agree, as a millenial myself I see the problems with the generation with all the anxiety, depression, and being disconnected from the real world. We are seen as lazy, entitled, and don't understand anything.

I see how the previous generations criticize millenials like they don't know why they are the way they are. Truth be told, the previous generations CREATED the millenials, they RAISED them into what they are today. They handed out the "participation" trophies and changed the game so that EVERYONE can go to college and get chained to a bunch of student loan debt with nothing to show but a useless piece of paper they call a "degree". It is really not the millennials fault, they are just acting in accordance with the environment they were RAISED into.

Chaz Heasley
Handy Homeowners Market

Because most Millenials were raised, the same way their parents were raised, by their Grandparents. To think, in this Information age, that taking the same actions as our Grandparents is a good idea is insanity... Parents have passed down Bad Data and outdated thinking. Ex: Save your money at 0.05% or get that Degree. 100k in debt later. College has brought up groups of people afraid to fail and take risks, because they're taught that team work is "cheating". The "A" students are the ones who made the fewest mistakes. That's why I created content to teach Millenials how to change their life, change their income and succeed in this new age: Professional Persuasion | Udemy

 

[YoungPadawan]

I'm embarrassed for my generation. Many have turned into a bunch of safespace, lazy, genderfluid pusscakes.

I think about how good we have it and how life has never been easier, yet there they are bitching about the Kardashians or some other nonsense.

In my neck of the woods, I hear about the tough, wiry bastards that did what they had to in order to feed their families when farming wasn't as easy (or profitable) as it is today.

They spent hour after hour everyday doing backbreaking labor and into their old age, they were permanantly hunched over because they wore their bodies out.

Not only that, but they were frugal as hell. They canned everything and wore their clothes thin.

It just makes me mad that many don't realize how good we truly have it, and the important lessons we can learn from our elders about hard work and reducing waste.

 

[Chaz Heasley]

Because most Millenials were raised, the same way their parents were raised, by their Grandparents. To think, in this Information age, that taking the same actions as our Grandparents is a good idea is insanity... Parents have passed down Bad Data and outdated thinking. Ex: Save your money at 0.05% or get that Degree. 100k in debt later. College has brought up groups of people afraid to fail and take risks, because they're taught that team work is "cheating". The "A" students are the ones who made the fewest mistakes. That's why I created content to teach Millenials how to change their life, change their income and succeed in this new age: Professional Persuasion | Udemy

Yes thank you Steven for seeing my point. The times have changed drastically, the government has gotten way too big, they are running up the national debt, and running the country off a financial cliff. This is the direct result of the actions of previous generations and has been going on for years. Yet every generation blames the next generation for problems that they created.

 

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[Steven D.]

Yes thank you Steven for seeing my point. The times have changed drastically, the government has gotten way too big, they are running up the national debt, and running the country off a financial cliff. This is the direct result of the actions of previous generations and has been going on for years. Yet every generation blames the next generation for problems that they created.

Chaz Heasley
Handy Homeowners Market

Exactly! And it's because generations have to take personal responsibility and stop blaming. We can only blame three things: Other people, other circumstances (The Government, Wall Street, Etc...) or Ourselves. That's the easy way.

Real solutions will come from people asking better questions and placing their ego aside. It would require different generations to admit that our present condition is a result of their decisions. They created the condition, with their actions.

Life doesn't just happen to us... We create it. It would then involve asking questions such as: "How can we correct our mistakes, and educate future generations on our lessons learned, so they can steer this big ship called the economy"

We're consumers, who have come to have expectations that we didn't have in the past. Reducing our consumption as a nation, or increasing taxes to reduce National Debt aren't savory ideas. People want what they want, right now. That's why I believe we're in a time, when we have to take personal responsibility for our success in life.

Blaming won't progress us. The days are gone when we can rely on things like: Pensions, Tenure, and Social Security. It's no longer up to the Government or an employer to take care of a person. They put that back on the person, with programs like the 401(k).

 

[maverick]

There is no point in identifying yourself as 'millenial', 'generation X' or any of the other overly deterministic cohort names.

Be(come) the person you want to be. Make plans. Achieve goals. Evolve. Create your own path.

All else is noise.

 

[The Abundant Man]

There is no point in identifying yourself as 'millenial', 'generation X' or any of the other overly deterministic cohort names.

Be(come) the person you want to be. Make plans. Achieve goals. Evolve. Create your own path.

All else is noise.

When you call yourself an Indian or a Muslim or a Christian or a European, or anything else, you are being violent. Do you see why it is violent? Because you are separating yourself from the rest of mankind. When you separate yourself by belief, by nationality, by tradition, it breeds violence. So a man who is seeking to understand violence does not belong to any country, to any religion, to any political party or partial system; he is concerned with the total understanding of mankind.”

― Jiddu Krishnamurti(Indian Philosopher and Teacher)

 

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[DifficultTruth]

I must be odd. I'm a boomer and I think the greatest generation (our parents) was the greatest generation.

You know Jon, as I sit here reflectively on memorial day and read over my original post I still think it is mostly true. The one thing I want to change is which generation I think is best. Over the last 3 years I have faced more adversity, worked harder, contributed more than the first 21 years of my life combined. During those same 3 years I read 100s of books, became a true student of history, talked with my elders who have had a lot longer to gain wisdom than me, and shut my mouth long enough to listen. I now believe fully and unequivocally the greatest generation is indeed the greatest generation.

I think it is to easy to grow up in privilege and face little adversity in the land of opportunity that was built on the sacrifices and decades of hard work of those the came before.

To think 15, 16, and 17 year old kids with a few weeks of training stormed the beaches of Normandy, and the women just as young took over factory jobs, and blue collar jobs like welding and pipe-fitting that most grown men today won't do says everything.

The reality today is the poor in first world countries have a much easier life than the majority of the greatest generation ever had. Sure, the world today has some problems, but by age 40 the greatest generation persevered through more adversity and hardships than most of us will in our entire life.

 

[Deleted78083]

I wonder if the trend improved, stagnated, or worsen over these last 5 years.

 

[Pete799p]

As the saying goes shirt sleeves to shirt sleeves in three generations...

 

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[consignia]

This generetion had it better than any other in terms of technology, progress of society, etc. Many first worlders were born with a silver spoon in their mouths. To start a business you need to be ok with failure, for that you need to be ok to feel pain... most millenials want to avoid pain at all cost