Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X & Boomers Have Completely Different Ideas Of What It Means To Be Honorable
Ground Picture | ShutterstockDepending on your generation, your concept of what it means to be honorable might be vastly different. That's primarily because the definition of respect holds a different meaning if you're a boomer or a Gen Zer.
For example, something that’s honorable is described as “deserving of respect or high regard,” which would probably be a pretty universally accepted definition. But each generation sees the path to earning respect very differently, so they don’t agree on what makes someone honorable.
Gen Z, millennials, Gen X, and boomers hold different values, so they have different opinions about who is honorable.
The four generations all pushed boundaries in their own way, but it’s safe to say that boomers, as the oldest generation, grew up learning more traditional lessons, especially by today’s standards. Each subsequent generation slowly shifted from the one before it, which means they don’t see eye-to-eye on what’s honorable or respectable because they think different things are important.
Boomers believe someone is honorable when they demonstrate dedication to a more conventional idea of success.
This age group placed a heavy emphasis on advancing in their careers with a strong work ethic. Work was important to them, and the thought of balancing their jobs with the rest of their lives didn’t really occur to them. They were fortunate enough to make sizable incomes overall, which affected the other things they valued.
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Boomers had a fairly stable economy to deal with, so they could achieve those milestones of homeownership and saving for retirement that seem elusive to younger folks. They respected people who supported their families with good jobs and lived the picture-perfect, but stereotypical, white-picket-fence life.
That means that boomers thought honorable people were independent and self-sufficient. They also had the misguided belief that pretty much anyone could reach that level if they just worked hard enough, which made them base honorability more on the image someone projected than who they actually were as a person.
Gen X is less likely to think someone is honorable based solely on their status.
While boomers would have looked at authority figures and given them almost automatic respect because of their position, Gen X was a bit more discerning. They lived through major cultural and social changes that made them a bit more open-minded, so they didn’t trust powerful people easily.
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Gen X thinks of independence as an attitude more than a state of security, and they admire people who act that way in their own lives. They have strong opinions, and they’re naturally drawn to people with similar values, just as anyone would be.
This has left them feeling convinced that an honorable person is someone who thinks for themselves and doesn’t let “the establishment,” whether that be government, corporations, or something else, make decisions for them. They want free and independent thinkers, and they pay close attention to who someone is on a personal level.
Millennials think highly of people who use their ambition to make a name for themselves.
Although not as traditional as boomers, millennials do share some similarities with the older generation in the way they think about success. They could be described as overachievers who got college degrees at a higher rate and now want to climb the corporate ladder as high as they can.
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They are driven by accomplishment, and this influences how they see other people, too. Millennials respect those who have worked hard to achieve success. However, they’re working with a very different economy than what boomers had, so they aren’t as hard on people who struggle to do that.
Millennials want others to respect them and do everything in their power to make that happen. It’s not surprising that this is also what they find honorable in their peers. Anyone who has done great things in their life and earned a lot of respect is worthy of being called honorable to them.
Gen Z can tell when someone is fake or doesn’t really care about the world, which are huge red flags for them.
The youngest generation is known for having a pretty progressive mindset, which has a lot to do with what they think is honorable. They’re diverse and politically active, fighting for greater equality and making the world a better place for everyone. They champion issues like mental health awareness, and they hate it when someone tries to be anyone other than themselves.
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While they have good intentions, Gen Z can sometimes have a hard time understanding why anyone would have differing views, and they don’t have a lot of respect for people who do. The ideas that there are honorable people on both sides of the aisle and that disagreement doesn’t have to be the end of the world haven’t really sunk in for them.
They also put a lot of pressure on themselves and others. Since they grew up on social media, they feel comfortable using it as a platform for activism. People who don’t speak up enough or say the wrong thing are quickly canceled, so they might have a narrower view of what and who is honorable. There’s nothing wrong with having standards, but they might go a bit too far at times.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
