Culture reflects those who construct it. As such, we must be careful who we allow to change our culture. Each generation has dealt with this, and now we must too, balancing on a tottering pile of Americanisms. For example, let’s take the Baby Boomer generation. What made the Boomers form the culture that they did? The boomers were born into a prosperous America that seemed it could only go up, and so what did they do? They built a new social code of morays, rejecting those of their parents, all based on seemingly never-ending progress and peace. This all despite the Cold War. The most defining characterization of Boomers today is the hate for pain of any variety, though only as it relates to them. Why is this? Because they only knew a world where you didn’t have to feel pain if you didn’t want to. If you were feeling pain you were doing something wrong, rather than pain being a normal part of life. The logical conclusion of the Boomer’s ideals led to the formation of the hippies, who believed in being peaceful, avoiding pain, and indulging in pleasure.
Today, many Gen Zers are extremely critical of the Boomers, especially in the view that progress is inherent, but do so without any self-awareness. They don’t particularly dislike the assumptions of the Boomers, they dislike their execution. If they hold inherently destructive views, they too will have this held against them by future generations, no matter how justified they feel.
In my personal thought, I separate Gen Z into two groups pertaining to how they care for their society, and their allegiances. These groups are the Apathetic and the Solicitous. While these may be somewhat applicable to every generation, I believe that they are especially relevant to Gen Z as they are coping with the current world.
The Apathetics, often without realization, hold themselves as their highest allegiance. All things they do, and all other allegiances they have are only to benefit the holder in the short-term. These allegiances and ideas are not held because of any moral standing or principle, they are held because they benefit the holder. This is because, to the Apathetic, one’s self is the determining factor for morality. Most Apathetics will mourn the decline of society but will do nothing about it besides a few short-term decisions, only aimed at making their immediate life better. For example, an Apathetic may wish for a high trust society and even speak and mourn loudly because of its loss, but they will break that trust if it benefits them. They want the benefits of a high-trust society because it is convenient, but they are not willing to do the things necessary for one to exist.
The Apathetics are resentful because the easy life that was promised them in their youth is not likely to happen. They are poor, unhappy, and unable to glean anything from society, thus turning them to the government to demand help and assistance.
The Apathetics are mad because they cannot have, and so they speak loudly. These people are indignant and self-righteous, especially against groups like the Boomers, but in this they are dishonest. They are going to do little but complain, their nihilism does not allow otherwise.
On the other hand, is the Solicitous. The Solicitous are characterized by care, a care that makes them act, whether for good or for evil. They do care for themselves, as they should, but they recognize that selfish apathy and indulgent hedonism do not lead to happiness, but to degradation. From their care, the Solicitous move their societies forward.
In America, we already have a foundation for our morality, family, government, culture, and economy. It was started by the Solicitous, carried by the Solicitous, and has been brought to us by them to this day. We know what works and what is right, it is only up to us to take on the mantle and continue forward, shaping our society after ourselves, towards goodness. Ultimately, the Solicitous care enough not just to think and say these things, but to be them, and to do them.
I believe that though the Apathetics seem to be the main driving force behind the current culture, they will not define it. The days ahead will require action and the Solicitous will be the ones willing to make it. So cast off the apathy. Even in a society where everything is looked down upon in the spirit of nihilism, something must go forth. Since the last World War, it has been the Political Left who has moved, and they have driven themselves toward the logical conclusions of their action, while we have been complicit. Now we must take care and go forth, for we are no longer just the loyal opposition, but a separate force, upholding classical Americanism.
Vir Patriae
