On the previous Posts we stated that cultural changes in the last 50 years resulted in changes in values and, therefore, in references that used to guide personal and social aspirations. From Millennials on, we find more liberal parents, much easier access to information and transitory identity references[1]. Parents are still the main identity models in children’s upbringing, but their identities are boosted by many other references and creativity and, on the other hand, there is a decrease in limits and restraints, coming from identity models. Thus, from 70’s on, people have been raised in a less rigid environment and it has resulted in less repressed Egos. Especially in Millennials generation, there was a switch from “over-restrainted” egos to ones which are more likely to lack contour”[2]. On the other hand, values linked to struggle, discipline and perseverance have emerged as crucial ones, once again, in, let’s say, the last decade. Despite not being, now, associated with self-contention, they are central to personal development and are the basis for the conviction that everyone can, potentially, be successful if they have enough tenacity. Resilience is still an appreciated ability, but Grit is maybe a more precise term to describe the values/traits that are associated with the idea of well-succeeded performances, reachable to anyone if they are determined enough not to give up on their dreams[3]. Grit has also been associated with what has been called a growth mindset. Duckworth, the creator of the term Grit, used as a starting point in her research the question: who is successful and why? And, in many different contexts, she points out that “(…) one characteristic emerged as a significant predictor of success. And it wasn’t social intelligence (…), good looks, physical health (..) or I.Q. It was grit. Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina (…) is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years and working really hard to make that future a reality”.[4] This is a core value in today’s culture, present in people’s aspirations, and that has been established together with the other liberal core values that were brought up, among other things, with the advance of technologies and virtual world[5]. Contemporary individuals are raised with an open/growth mindset to be fulfilled with creative possibilities. In addition, relationships, and work are not supposed to be taken for granted, because life, in general is meant to be in change. And people don’t feel this as a threaten. That’s how things are. Within this context, they are unlikely to stay in unsatisfactory relationships/job contracts and they are socially encouraged to pursue better goals. They are also ready to be in constant move, worried about what they may be losing outside of their offices, in other relationships. This brings a sort of permanent readiness to change state of mind, which could be linked to anxiety, although, in this context, it shouldn’t be considered a disproportionate anxiety. In our view, it would be more precise to describe today’s subjects as expanded egos, ready to change and this doesn’t impede them to have long-term goals. Speaking as a mental health agent, we are walking side by side an ongoing process of research to more accurately understand these new types of personality and their emotional suffering/disorders. On the other hand, people keep being more over-contented(repressed), lacking contour, among other peculiar combinations that define what it is like to be a singular person. Regardless of cultural contexts, they keep suffering from psychosomatic diseases, dysfunctions, self- sabotages, scape, denials. We keep being neurotic. From a psychodynamic perspective, the challenge of working with neurosis is not only to identify the traumas or the conflicts at the origin of dysfunctional patterns, but it is also to understand how external oppressor agents have turned into internal ones. In other words, how hostile or oppressive emotional atmospheres have been internalized and become part of oneself, an “unaware side of them”, a dismissive one, which takes away their dignity and self-esteem.
To sum up, we could say that, from Millennials on, these last generations are, in general, less sexually repressed, i.e, they have less internal conflicts coming from the impossibility of getting in touch with their deeper desires, especially the ones not socially accepted. Cultural changes have had a considerable influence on building individuals full of possibilities and creativity, with fewer limits and restraints regarding directions in life. This way, people today have won in freedom and creativity and have lost in self-restraint. Nevertheless, the advantage of more free lifestyles and freedom of expression came at the expense of a higher level of existential anguish[6]. Such anguish has increased together with the new mindset that we will call multiplicity (of possibilities), diversity (life choices) and flexibility (room to negotiate, especially with parents). In old times, people may have struggled more to admit deeper repressed desires/conditions, but this didn’t use to come at the expense of finding a direction to life. Hence, although new generations enjoy the privilege of more freedom in general, in fact, it comes with a double challenge: they keep being neurotic (having hidden conflicts in the source of disorders) and are more dependent on maturity to find integrated paths to their lives, since the core value to find them is existential satisfaction. In a few words, most of the individuals today need a longer track to find a more decisive direction in their lives. It will come within the time needed for each of them to get in touch with their desires, to be aware of what really matters to them to, then, find a track more aligned with their values and desires. It doesn’t mean that it will be over or fixed. But is the thick line of stability we can count on in such impermanent word.
To be continued on the next Post
[1] For more details see Posts 6- Millennials- Generation Y, Post 7- The post superego ad the crisis of authority, Post 8- Contourless Ego, Post 9- The transitions from Millennials to Centennials. New aspirations of life, Post 12- Unstable references, expanded egos and anxieties.
[2] For more details see Post 7- The Post-Superego and the crisis of authority, Post 8- Contourless Ego and Post 11-Limits versus Contour- The difference between repression and contention, Post 12- Limits and Contour 2- Unstable references, expanded egos and anxieties and POst 12- Limits and contour 3- Itos not about punishment. It's about consequences. in 7th Essay – Cultural Influences on Identity, in: www.ceciliapsicologa.org.
[3] We won’t discuss positive and/or negative aspects on the guiding values of which historical period since a deeper debate on this issue is beyond our knowledge and the purpose of the Post, which is to reflect on their influence in personalities’ development.
[4] Duckworth, A.L. Grit: the power of passion and perseverance. In: TED Talks. In: www:// TED.com (May 9th,2013).
[5] For more details see Posts 10- The transition from Millennials to Centennials- New aspirations for life, Post 12- Limits and Contour 2- Unstable references, expanded egos and anxieties, Post 14- Centennials/Z- Generation “do it yourself” and Post 16-Centennials- multi-task thinking outside the box, in: Cultural influences on identity. In: www.ceciliapcsicologa.org
[6] For more details see Dias in Post 5-Existential Anguish. In 5th Essay- Adolescence and Anguishes in: www.ceciliapsicologa.org
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