Itis the job of prior generations to imbue wisdom to new ones; this is the way of the world and most certainly our species. As a mark of our species above others, we have trended toward the pursuit of self-actualization above other needs. In essence, we have climbed Maslow’s hierarchy so that the majority of people in many developed countries (primarily Western) now prioritize self-actualization over other needs (“what will make me happy?”, if you will). Anterior needs may generalized as a lower bound in developed societies; once accomplished, self-actualization emerges as the nuanced and enduringly complex nut to crack.
In the United States, previous generations are dispersing advice and creating an environment for youth in a manner that radically separates from the vast majority of modern history. It is here that changes in this knowledge transfer of self-actualization, which I will term metaactualization, can be examined to understand both the positives and negatives of these trends, as well as the predictable outcomes and the actions, if any, we should take as a society in response.
Trends:
Passion (humanism) as dominating self-actualization.
Nihilism as playing into self-actualization.
Standards as lowered in the name of self-actualization.
Lethargy (reactionism) as playing into self-actualization.
- Passion (humanism) as dominating self-actualization.
The privileged self-actualization space is marked by the ascension of “lower” needs into progressive ones: the need to be happy, express one’s “true” self, and live a life in accordance with moral principles. Parents assert passion as the north star to youth—it is less so about what ensures basic needs for one’s self and family, and more about discovering one’s passion and following that to an extent not limited by reasonable costs, such as making less money or seeing family less. This focus on passion has its upsides—the mere fact that many young people can now focus on passion over necessity speaks to societal progress—but is painted against the strange backdrop of reportedly low job satisfaction and, in many Western countries, diminishing opportunities (or at least the perception of such). The search for passion also alienates those who feel they are without passion for a subject or career and brings about miscalculations of risk as related to important decisions about one’s life.
I cannot properly insult the modern role of passion without speaking to alternative systems and the comparative value of it—to that discussion I may only add that to assume any single strain of advice or ideology as correct and absolutely “moral”, especially when taken to an unprecedented extreme, is a questionable thing.
2. Nihilism as playing into self-actualization.
Is meaning real? Why should we strive to make money, pursue relationships, or ensure our culture lives on? These are questions youth are asking in increasing numbers, or at least living an embodying lifestyle. A survey of 106 nations found that young adults are moving away from faith in most countries, with the most pronounced differences coming from economically developed countries. Substance use and mental health issues are on the rise, more young adults report feeling confused about what they want to do with their lives than ever, and a study conducted across 20 countries found that most developed nations polled were overwhelmingly likely to be pessimistic about the future. This trend of diminished belief and confidence in one’s person, health, abilities, and future is enormously complex in nature, and not one I will devote ample time here to pick apart—regardless of causes, this environment alters self-actualization in that youth are more unsure of themselves, their positioning in life, and their possible (potential) positioning in life.
3. Standards as lowered in the name of self-actualization.
Ahumanist perspective on work and life which prioritizes well-being disavows “suffering” and difficult work, no matter how productive; this is coupled with the common adage that true passion should not feel like work. Whether consciously or subconsciously, this creates an environment in which young people feel drawn on the basis of an overarching ideology primarily toward things they enjoy, don’t prioritize the discovery of new interest or passions, and disregard things which they do not immediately enjoy or find “fun.” Educators pattern this trend in instruction; by prioritizing the short-run well-being and comfort of students and teaching content that a majority of students feel is neither relevant nor interesting, students become intellectually disengaged and never feel the need (nor are pushed to) to commit to schoolwork or perform at any reasonable standard relative to what they could do. As standards are lowered, so does average performance—most uninterested students, put simply, will react only to the lowest bound of performance allowed; perhaps this is marked by an F, or a call home, or any other “motivating” measure. Similar trends to this are present in home lives.
4. Lethargy (reactionism) as playing into self-actualization.
Life advice tiered toward passion, combined with a refute of meaning and lowered standards, carries with it an element of lethargy. Life easily becomes reactive in nature—with diminished overarching goals, less present stressors which contribute to any number of relatively counterproductive vices, and “passion” commonly being known as something which happens to arrive, which manifests itself at some point throughout the first several decades of one’s life, versus something that must be pursued and grown into.
This ingrained practice of reactionism is not the result of a downward, multi-generational spiral; it’s absolute state, however, speaks to a remarkable lack of progress given the opportunities of the present day. Lethargy of thing kind takes many forms in both what is not done—new pursuits, challenging things, a desire to learn—and what is done—digital and social media usage, regression to the easiest or safest path forward, and a certain twisted pride that comes with rebellion and the other trends on this list: underperformance, lethargy, and overconsumption.
This writing is tiered toward fundamental negative trends when it comes to youth and self-actualization. The positives must equally not be ignored—youth today in developed countries are more knowledgeable about the world around them, have greater mobility with regard to their life (not as a rule, but rather one’s ability to be an exception is distributed relative to past), and have their basic needs met to an extent not common throughout history nor even the post-industrial period.
As the question must be asked, has the overarching pendulum swung toward the better or worse for youth? Most would say toward the worse—perhaps this too is a societal fallacy driven by misaligned economic incentives and the information environment in combination with a degree of expression and honesty previously not present, or perhaps all the freedoms of the modern world have indeed driven youth astray.
I personally lean toward the latter as I feel our relative progression should not make up for dismal absolute standings. Your feelings, as much the point of this writing, are up to you—I will argue if for nothing else that these questions are much better asked than left unsaid.