A lot has changed in America (and the world) in the past 75 years.
During that span, three new generations of people have been born, and with them, a whole new set of values has spread through our society.
If you’re the pessimistic type, there’s plenty to be critical about, as many old-fashioned values have fallen out of favor. But for those who are optimistic—and know where to look—there’s just as much to be excited about. People everywhere are still doing the things that humans do best—laughing, playing, innovating, and connecting with one another.
And best of all, what’s lost for a while doesn’t have to be lost forever.
Even if the broader society devalues a particular view of the world, it doesn’t mean you can’t revive that value in your own family or the community you live in. Create your own little bubble of old-fashioned values and exemplify thriving in the modern world by combining the best of what’s new with the timeless wisdom of previous generations.
Before the world went online, human relationships were centered around communities—the places where people lived, worked, worshipped, and celebrated. Communities foster a sense of belonging and are a real source of support that’s being lost in our increasingly individualistic world.
To revive this value, join more community groups and participate in the local happenings of your city or town. Of course, this will never be as convenient as watching your favorite show on Netflix, but it does offer the prospect of a deeper sense of purpose and connection with others.
I can’t claim to be great at this myself, but I have several amazing neighbors who have warmly injected themselves into our lives by making friendly small talk, offering to help with outside jobs, loaning tools, and generally keeping an eye out for ways to connect. They are my personal role models in reviving this important value.
Another change I’ve observed in society is a growing lack of appreciation for the older people who live among us. It’s likely this effect has grown stronger alongside the rising worship of youth and derision directed toward age. As entertainment and cultural trends position aging as an unwelcome shift toward irrelevance, we lose the slower, gentler wisdom and humor and the emotional evenness of our elders.
How do we push back against this unfortunate trend? It won’t happen by accident, that’s for sure. We need to intentionally make time and space for those who are older to shape us and leave their influence on us as they did long ago. Although they may not be interested in all the latest trends, their experiences and unique perspectives can tell us the trajectory of our world by helping us understand how our society has changed, and they can offer us hard-earned insights about how to live a rich and meaningful life.
Communication methods have changed over the course of time, but one thing has remained true—our deepest, most intimate connections with others occur face-to-face.
The natural result of increased wealth is further specialization and fewer do-it-yourself efforts. Nowadays, many people don’t work on their own cars, mow their own lawns, or have the need to fix anything on their own. In some ways, this is a positive trend, as it frees up our time to pursue higher-value activities and more creative work. But what if all we’ve done is replace that time with more screen-based entertainment?
It’s certainly not bad to enjoy downtime, and my message is not one of austerity. However, there are benefits to learning how to do things on your own and developing a resourceful spirit. Even picking up one or two practical skills could be enough to strengthen your self-esteem and make you more useful to your family and community.
Just a few generations ago, it would have seemed silly to exercise in any intentional way. That’s because moving your body was part of life, and few people would have spent their entire days and evenings in a seated posture, as is common today.
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