Phil discusses how we should frame everything as "if maybe" instead of "when this occurs, then that will happen (or the more traditional "if-then" mode of thinking).
Micah and K Sera discuss examples of how our generation was misled from our elders due to this unfortunate use of wording.
Show notes:
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K Sera's after thoughts:
- I asked my parents about their college years and tuition. They managed to get through 4 years of schooling for $8,000 total (Nixon/Ford Dollars). 2k a year! Adjusted for inflation, that’s roughly 10k/year in Obama dollars. My contribution to my tuition via scholarships was 11k/year (Obama dollars), so I personally ‘paid’ more than my parents did for college in only my scholarship grants. Thanks parents, for helping me afford private school tuition! I absolutely wouldn’t have done it without you!
- But back on topic, I really appreciate the nuance of our generation. I think we are a little more careful with our words than the previous generation – much to their annoyance given boomer comments about ‘pc culture’. We are a little more conscious of how our language impacts our society. This is, in part, a reflection of our generation being fed lies and vagaries about a future we can ‘build’ and ‘own’ for ourselves when the truth is our generation doesn’t own shit. We pay for access, not ownership. We rent, lease, subscribe. We own debt. We own mortgages. To own something real is rare.
Like Phil said, life is rolling the dice and there are probabilities, but no certainties. (Unless you’re playing with loaded dice, you cheater!). Our language should reflect that. That said, it sounds really creepy to ask a kid, "What do you want to be if you grow up?" Phil's after thoughts: -One of the editors close friends is looking for a new job (as of time of this publication we are in THE GREAT RESIGNATION) but she is held back because she does not have a college degree (despite 20 years in the industry), and thus her career options are severely limited. I feel as a society we need to do away with using a bachelors degree as a gate keeping activity, as 80% of our jobs don't require this, and most of the real learning is done ON THE JOB. I am sure for accounting, lawyers, and the medical professions this wouldn't do well... but those all have something in common (CPA, JD, Bar Exam, Medical License), almost as if these jobs have a baked in solution to this "education inflation" problem already... fancy that. -Why do I mention this? Because the advice of "go to college" was the clearest example of "when this, then that" logic. The problem is that since so many of us went to college, it diluted the very meaning of it. Second, it started to prevent people who are well qualified to move further in their careers because of this stupid myth. It's a double-harmful adage, and all because we (as a generation) bought into this false premise of "when-then" that now we must all participate in this wasteful and debt-incurring adventure. -And this is just ONE example of "when-then" has in our society. We didn't mention much about housing, healthcare, policing, law politics, climate change, marriages, and everything in between. Americans push this fairy-tale story of "when-then" because it hides the dark and sinister truth of our lives: IF you are successful, MAYBE it is because you are very lucky