Millennials’ Greatest Stessors vs. The Fears of our Greatest Generation

There’s a crop of millennial politicians, joined by supporters their age, who are comparing the implementation of a Green New Deal to fighting World War II.   If that’s their analogy, it’s only fair to measure them against those who fought and won WW II;  members of the Greatest Generation.  

Given that, it’s instructive to review a recent poll of  2,000 millennials. That survey, measuring their anxiety levels, found 58% reported feeling “life is more stressful right now than ever before.”  

An article listed “the top 20 stressful scenarios reported by millennials”. 

So we thought it a good idea to take a stab at what patriots who actually risked their lives for a greater cause, and went on to live long, productive lives, might cite as their worst fears; keeping in mind those tough men and women were products of very tough times.  

First the Millennials: 

1. 1.Losing wallet/credit card
   2. Arguing with partner                            
   3. Commute/traffic delays                         
   4. Losing phone                                        
   5. Arriving late to work                            
   6. Slow WiFi
   7. Phone battery dying
   8. Forgetting passwords
   9. Credit card fraud
   10. Forgetting phone charger
   11. Losing/misplacing keys
   12. Paying bills
   13. Job interviews
   14. Phone screen breaking
   15. Credit card bills
   16. Check engine light coming on
   17. School loan payments
   18. Job security
   19. Choosing what to wear
   20. Washing dishes

Here’s a best guess list of our courageous elders, greatest fears. The menu is more consolidated,  because events such as wars and depressions create multiple, related stressors.

1. Losing World War II- Sending loved ones off to fight.
2. Surviving the Great Depression, finding jobs during 25% unemployment & feeding families.
3. Grieving the deaths of over 400,000 military personnel lost in WW II & helping returning vets.
4. The Korean War, and the possibility of a WW III. Sending loved ones to fight. 
5. Grieving 54,246 casualties & assisting returning Korean War Vets.
6. The Cold War-with the looming prospect of nuclear war.
7. The Cuban Missile Crisis-A close brush with Armageddon.
8. A period of explosive race relations as America moved to end segregation.
9. The assassinations or President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King.
10. The Vietnam War-sending loved ones off to fight-civil unrest.
11. Grieving 58,000 U.S. troops killed & helping returning vets, many of whom were treated badly.
12. 9/11-First successful attack on American soil by a foreign enemy in almost 200 years.  

It would seem, if virtue signaling, self absorbed millennials want to come anywhere close to the selfless standards set by the Greatest Generation, they’ve got a very long way to go.  But then again, “Climate Change” ain’t World War II now is it.  

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