Every
generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the previous one and
wiser than the next one. They revolt against the status quo and seek new
solutions to age-old conundrums.
Every
generation needs a new revolution.
William
Strauss and Neil Howe, in their 1997 book titled THE FOURTH TURNING, theorize
that society has a collective personality that changes on a regular cyclical
basis.
This
cycle repeats itself every four generations (every 80 to 100 years), with each
generation having a distinct persona. When the collective persona changes,
every 20 years or so, it’s called a turning. The four turnings comprise a
repeatable cycle of social human growth.
The
first turning is a high -- an optimistic period of idealism with social order
and weak individualism. People born in this time frame are classified as
Prophets. They challenge the moral failure of previous generations.
The
second turning is an awakening -- a passionate era where social order comes
under attack. Those born in this generation are Nomads. They defend society and
attempt to slow social change.
The
third turning is an unraveling -- a down period of strong individualism and
weakening social order. This generation is called Heroes. They tend toward
pessimism, fueling a society-wide crisis.
The
fourth turning is a crisis -- a tumultuous period where the old social order is
replaced by a new one. Those born in this generation are Artists. They believe
in cooperation and become sensitive helpmates.
The
repeatable cycles of social change always start out on an optimistic high,
followed by an awakening, leading to an unraveling, culminating in a crisis.
History is replete with this four-generation cycle.
- The American Revolution – (1701-1791). It started as an optimistic age of enlightenment and culminated with the American Revolutionary War.
- The Civil War – (1791-1866). The newly created nation was in an optimistic period full of promise. The cycle climaxed with the bloody Civil War.
- The Great Power – (1866-1946). The era started with reconstruction after the Civil War with a positive outlook toward the future and ended with World War II.
·
The
Present Cycle began in 1946, just after the end of the last world war.
In the first turning
of the Present Cycle, society entered a period of building and fortification.
There was great optimism when soldiers returned home after World War II to
start a fresh life and the economy began to boom.
The second turning is
an awakening. According to Strauss and Howe, an awakening is when a society
takes a sudden turn in a new direction. In the mid-1960s, about 20 years after
the start of the Present Cycle, our social fabric was torn apart by our
involvement in Vietnam. The Prophets born in the first turning became teenagers
and young adults in this time frame, rebelling against the established civil
structure and ideals.
The third turning in
the Present Cycle took place in the mid-1980s, a period of unraveling when
social anxiety caused the old order to decay and new values to emerge. This was
an era of self-interest replacing societal interests. After decades of liberal
rule by Democrats, with their big government social programs, the more
conservative ideals of Ronald Reagan and George Bush, Sr., became the social
order of the day. Individuals began to become more materialistic and less
caring about others. It was dubbed the “Me Generation.”
The fourth turning is
a period of crisis. It often starts with an event that triggers an upheaval in
public life. We are now in the final stages of the fourth turning of this
cycle. It probably started on September 11, 2001. From there, it evolved into a
time of focus in a struggle for survival, a reaction to the rise of radical
Islam (Al Qaeda, ISIS, etc.) on a march to force their narrow Islamic vision
onto the rest of the world. If the theory of cyclical social events is correct,
it may last until the early or mid 2020s. Then we will start all over with a
new high, a rebirth of optimism and idealism.
As a society, we
appear to be trapped in an endless cycle of inevitable highs and lows. Apparently,
history repeats itself in some sort of bizarre 80-year mood swing, pitting each
generation against one another. As individuals, all we can do is treat others
the way we want to be treated and go along for the ride.
Like it or not, we’re
all in this together.
These cycles of
generational "personality" are probably not an accident. Many studies
have shown that souls tend to incarnate in groups. Time after time, we
reincarnate with the same group of individuals, dealing with unfinished
business, repeating past conflicts, resolving unresolved issues.
For better or worse,
family and friends and enemies rotate through numerous birth-death-rebirth
cycles together. When you have a strong intuitive "affirmation" of
someone, for no logical reason other than a deep feeling of familiarity, it is
likely a connection to past lives. Proceed with patience, forgiveness and love
-- you cannot get ahead by getting even.
As you sow, so shall
you reap.
___________
Quote
for the Day – "There is a mysterious cycle in human events." Franklin
D. Roosevelt
___________
Bret Burquest is the author of 12 books. He lives in the Ozark
Mountains with a few dogs and where the troubles of this crazy world seem far
away.
___________
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