I often wonder where my son's autism came from and then I realize I'm picking little pieces of tree bark out of a bucket of dirt.

More trans are becoming violent terrorists than pass as women.

We have a radical trans terrorism problem.

My coffee club delivery was India. Had that shit ground up and brewed before you could say tikki masala.

Ethereum what the fudge dude

What The Forest Heard: Elliott and The Button That Talks – Between The Shoulders

#aac #apraxia #autism

From Whatever to What’s the Point? How Generational Attitudes Reveal the Future We’re Sleepwalking Into Every generation inherits a set of promises from the one before it. Some promises are whispered in lullabies, others are embedded in institutions—school, work, marriage, the economy. But every now and then, the promises break. That’s when you can tell a generation apart by its collective shrug, its sigh, or its rebellion. Generation X, born in the shadow of late-stage Cold War anxiety, corporate downsizing, and latchkey afternoons, gave us the shrug. Their anthem was “whatever”—a half-ironic refusal to buy into the grand narratives of their parents. They came of age with MTV, grunge, and post-Watergate cynicism. They knew the system was flawed, but they managed to float above it with a certain stylish detachment. Millennials, though, didn’t inherit the luxury of “whatever.” They were raised on the promise that if you worked hard, went to college, and checked the boxes of adulthood, you could live the dream. Instead, they found themselves saddled with student debt, skyrocketing housing prices, endless wars, and an economy that treated them like gig workers instead of citizens. For them, the anthem isn’t “whatever.” It’s “what’s the point?” That pivot—from ironic detachment to existential exhaustion—is more than just a generational mood swing. It’s a symptom of a deeper societal cycle that has repeated itself throughout history. And if we study the echoes of the past, we might glimpse where society is heading next. The “Whatever” Generation: Gen X and the Art of the Shrug To understand Millennials, you have to rewind to the 1980s and 90s. Gen X grew up in an era of collapsing trust. Watergate had gutted faith in politics. Vietnam had exposed the lies of war. The divorce rate skyrocketed, creating a generation of kids who raised themselves after school. For many, the latchkey became a symbol: no one was coming home at 3 p.m. to check your homework. Instead of clinging to failed institutions, Gen X rolled their eyes. They turned apathy into armor. Pop culture gave us Winona Ryder’s deadpan, Kurt Cobain’s sneer, and Reality Bites. The ethos wasn’t about rebuilding society. It was about surviving it—finding small pleasures in mixtapes, thrift store flannels, and counterculture niches. They weren’t naïve. They saw the cracks in the system earlier than most. But their coping strategy was withdrawal: a refusal to fully engage with institutions that seemed destined to betray. The “What’s the Point?” Generation: Millennials and the Collapse of Optimism If Gen X floated above it all, Millennials got pulled under. Born in the 1980s and 90s, they were told they were special. Every trophy, every “you can be anything” speech was designed to instill ambition and self-belief. Unlike Gen X, Millennials weren’t raised to shrug; they were raised to strive. But striving requires a finish line. And here’s what Millennials discovered when they reached the mile markers: College? Costs quadrupled. Student debt became a generational anchor. Home ownership? Out of reach in most cities, unless your parents had wealth. Stable work? Replaced by gig contracts and “hustle culture.” Retirement? A fantasy. Even social security looks shaky. The result isn’t ironic detachment. It’s burnout. It’s anxiety. It’s the quiet despair behind phrases like, “what’s the point of buying a house if the climate collapses in 30 years?” If Gen X didn’t believe in the system, Millennials believed in it too much—and got crushed by the weight of that belief. History Echoes: We’ve Been Here Before This generational shift isn’t new. History is filled with cycles where optimism collapses, institutions break down, and younger people adopt either detachment or despair. The real question is: what comes after? The Late Roman Republic (1st century BCE): A generation raised on promises of Roman greatness watched as wealth inequality soared, politics turned violent, and the republic decayed. The younger classes, disillusioned, turned either to cynicism (whatever) or nihilism (what’s the point?). What came next was empire—authoritarian stability after democratic breakdown. The 14th Century (Europe): After the Black Death, entire generations struggled with meaning. Institutions like the Church faltered under the weight of mass mortality. Some withdrew into hedonism (whatever), while others despaired at the futility of life (what’s the point?). But in the long tail, the Renaissance emerged—a rebirth of art, science, and human potential. The 1930s–40s (Global): After the roaring optimism of the 1920s, the Great Depression obliterated economic security. A “what’s the point?” generation emerged: disillusioned, impoverished, and searching. Out of that despair came two roads: fascism in some countries, and a welfare state/social democracy in others. These cycles suggest that when a generation collectively asks “what’s the point?” society stands on the edge of radical transformation. Either institutions reform to meet people’s needs, or they collapse entirely—making way for something harsher, more authoritarian. What Comes Next? The Gen Z and Gen Alpha Question If Millennials are the “what’s the point?” generation, Gen Z is the one that grew up watching that despair play out in real time. They’re the first digital natives, raised with social media, climate collapse headlines, and school shooting drills as background noise. Unlike Millennials, they don’t believe the system will save them. Unlike Gen X, they don’t have the luxury of ironic detachment. Their tone is more urgent: fix it, burn it down, or meme through the apocalypse. Some lean toward radical activism. Others toward nihilistic humor. But one thing is clear: Gen Z is less interested in asking “what’s the point?” and more interested in creating their own points—online, in movements, in spaces outside traditional power. And Gen Alpha, just entering the scene, will inherit a world shaped by this tension. Will they become the architects of a new system, like the post-WWII generation? Or will they grow up under a tighter, more authoritarian global order, like the Roman Empire after the Republic fell? The Cycle of Shrug, Sigh, and Rebirth So what does this mean for us right now? If history is any guide, the “what’s the point?” generation signals that we’re at a breaking point. The despair Millennials feel isn’t the end of the story; it’s the storm before a societal shift. The critical question is: which direction will we lean? Toward the authoritarian comfort of strongmen, or toward a renaissance of new institutions designed to actually serve human beings? Because here’s the truth: the shrug of Gen X and the sigh of Millennials aren’t just cultural moods. They’re warning sirens. They tell us that when people stop believing the game is worth playing, the game changes—whether we’re ready or not. But what's the point?

From Whatever to What’s the Point? – How Generational Attitudes Reveal What May Lie Ahead – Between The Shoulders

#nostr #Sunday #discussion

From Whatever to What’s the Point? – How Generational Attitudes Reveal What May Lie Ahead – Between The Shoulders

#nostr #philosophy #society

Gen X said ‘whatever’; Millennials asked ‘what’s the point?’ And that difference says everything about the world they inherited.

If gen X was the "whatever" generation then millennials are the "what's the point?" generation.

Value the people you can sit in complete silence with.

It's not a good conversationalist that I like. It's someone that I can sit in silence with.

#Disney adults are a real problem. A massive section of society are susceptible to childlike, childish behaviors and interests and it's a symptom of something really destructive.

My account is up 6% today. Holy moly.

Crypto is through the roof today because Blue Origin announced they'll accept bitcoin payments for space flights.

Holy fuck ethereum is up over 13% right now wtf

My balance is going up and up and up after a few days of red.

How the hell I ethereum up over 11.5%?!?!?!@$%#&@%@^

Wow thanks for the sats

Twice a week on schedule it goes straight from my arm into #bitcoin. 20, 40, 60 dollar increments. Building little by little. Plasma to $. It's my kiddo's nest egg.