Next, let's take a look at the problems associated with an education that focuses too much on happiness and self-confidence. One prominent problem is that the Me Generation is more prone to depression and anxiety. This is a very strange phenomenon. Why is it strange? Because this generation has obviously not experienced any traumatic historical events in their lives, and apart from the recent global financial crisis, the economy has been booming for most of their formative years, unlike the Greatest Generation, who experienced the Second World War, or the Silent Generation, who worry about nuclear weapons every day. Unlike the "Greatest Generation" who lived through World War II, the "Silent Generation" who worried about nuclear war every day, and the "Baby Boomers" who had to express themselves in demonstrations, they have never been drafted into the military, and they have more technological products, from computers and cell phones to better health care and better education. They had happy childhoods, their parents took care of them in every way, their teachers were kind to them, and they didn't have any childhood shadows or family misfortunes.

So why is this generation more anxious instead?

On the one hand, higher expectations of the self are more likely to cause frustration. The education they receive in school and at home does not teach them how to deal with the complexities of the workplace and how to cope with the inevitable setbacks. In the course of growing up, parents and teachers have been telling them: you are the best, you are different, but when they get to the real world, they realize that not everyone is good at what he likes to do, and even if he is good at his favorite profession, he still has to encounter very fierce competition, and only a few lucky people can really become winners at the tip of the pyramid. How to make adjustments and compromises according to the needs of society and your own preferences is a skill that the "me generation" has not learned.

On the other hand, it is precisely because of this over-emphasis on the self that the Me Generation is unable to experience true happiness and self-confidence. Numerous studies have shown that people who get along well with others are happier, less depressed, and have higher self-esteem. This suggests that self-confidence is developed through interaction with others. We must rebuild our collective life in order to truly discover ourselves. In this respect, the Me Generation must learn from their predecessors. If you go back to the traditional virtues, whether they are American or Chinese, you will find that people value honesty, hard work, diligence, caring for others, and helping others. Instead of focusing on personal happiness, traditional virtues believe that you can be truly happy when you put your attention on a more ambitious goal. That's why happiness is just a result that comes naturally, not a goal that you deliberately pursue. The more you pursue happiness, the less you get it. The more you emphasize individuality, the more mediocre and impersonal the end result.

First, praise works better than criticism. Don't forget that this generation grew up on praise, they are not used to being reprimanded and criticized, and it's useless for them to talk about responsibility. If you can make young people feel that they have been chosen for a special mission and that their talents and efforts are appreciated, they will be motivated. Even if you must criticize them, learn to praise before you criticize. If you meet resistance when you criticize them, don't be in a hurry and continue to explain and communicate patiently. You'll find that young people don't refuse to criticize, they're just not used to the way it's done.

Second, bluntness works better than euphemism. When young people communicate with their elders, they are often confused because elders prefer to express themselves euphemistically, confusing young people. This is not the way young people are used to communicating. Communicate with young people, must be straightforward, honest, tell them exactly how to do, tell them your truest thoughts.

Third, short meetings are more effective than long meetings. Never open a long meeting with young people, they simply can not sit. They can't sit still for long, boring presentations that put them to sleep. Be short and interactive. Don't forget that this is a generation that grew up watching computers and cell phones and playing games, and they prefer to be participants rather than spectators.

Fourth, give young people jobs that require more flexibility and initiative. They usually have friends from different backgrounds, they like freshness and excitement, and they don't want to do things by the book. If you need to deal with culturally diverse clients, if you need to break the mold and innovate, give it to young people, and you'll find that they'll do it with aplomb.

Fifth, flexible working helps attract young people. Salary is not the only, or even the most important, factor in attracting young people. Work-from-home options, flexible commutes, the availability of daycare, and generous maternity leave policies (including for male employees) all go a long way toward increasing employee loyalty.

Sixth, understand your younger employees. It's not that they're not trying, they're just confused. No one told them how to get from school into society, no one told them that the workplace is so competitive. High housing prices, rising costs of daily life, and opportunities for advancement are all challenges that young people have to face. Changing situations in different places, you would be just as anxious if you were in their shoes.

After talking about how to deal with younger employees, let's talk about how to deal with younger customers. If your customers were younger, what would you notice about them that's different from older customers?

They would prefer products with personality. They are less likely to worship name brands and more likely to trust their own judgment and aesthetic interests. They will form different cliques, some of which you may never have encountered before - for example, you may find urban guys who like makeup and girls who like boxing.

What products and services are more in demand by the younger generation? I've come to you to suggest a few more specific ones for you to consider.

First, life coaching. One of the most embarrassing things that young people encounter is that what they are taught in school hardly matches what they need in the workplace and in life. Big to choose a specialty, study abroad, find a job, small to the workplace dress, interview, go abroad luggage are loaded with what things, all need someone to give them as a counselor. With the development of big data, the brokerage business that relies on exchanging information to make money will gradually be replaced, but the coach who relies on experience and service to provide young people with all kinds of planning and accompany them to exercise their life ability and workplace ability will have a broad market.

Second, social service. Although young people are more energetic, but compared with the older generation, on the contrary, more lack of socialization opportunities. Internet dating services and speed dating will continue to flourish, and services that match people according to big data and personality will be especially prosperous. Only online socialization cannot meet the needs of young people, how can we allow young people to have a variety of communication opportunities offline, in the way they are accustomed to, for them to establish a different circle, will certainly be liked by young people.

Third, the singles market. More and more young people are choosing to live a longer single life, so various markets for single life will flourish. For example, nowadays, most of the food packages are designed according to the family, if it is for the single life, then there should be smaller portion packages.

Fourth, the childcare market. The cost of childcare will continue to climb, nurseries and kindergartens will be in short supply, the nanny market will continue to be lucrative, and educational products for children will remain a huge and expanding market, and the competition to get into the best schools will only continue unabated in the coming decades.

Fifth, niche markets. The luxury market will shrink, both because young people don't have a lot of money left over, and because young people care less and less about status, position, and brand. What young people want is cool. Niche markets will become mainstream. Once the niche products have become the mainstream products, they are not cool, and they can no longer attract young people.

Close Reading

Tengel, Generation Me

We've focused on the generation gap in the last five sessions. The book I recommend for you is The Me Generation by American sociologist Tengel. The translation is of average quality, but the book itself is not deep. In particular, if you are a post-80s or post-90s person, there are many points made in it that you might ****ing relate to. The "Me Generation" is the most egotistical generation, but also the most depressed and frustrated. This generation wants to pursue their dreams, but is anxious about how to do so.

Read this book not only to better understand yourself, but also to better reflect on your children's education. Don't let the wrong educational concepts of the previous generation be passed on to the next generation. The children of the "me generation" are likely to be more self-centered, which is detrimental to their development. We have to remember that the important thing is to cultivate good habits in our children. School is a place for children to learn, not a place for them to feel good about themselves all the time, and there's nothing wrong with letting them experience anxiety and failure a little bit earlier on, and correcting them when they make a mistake in a timely manner. It's when kids realize later that they're doing the wrong thing year after year without realizing it that their self-esteem gets hurt.

Selected Readings

Supporting Books

We also featured American scholars William Strauss and Neil Howe's Generations: The History of America's Future, 1584 to 2069. America's Future, 1584 to 2069.) There doesn't seem to be a Chinese translation of this book yet.

When talking about income inequality, we introduced French economist Piketty's Capitalism in the 21st Century. I introduced this book specifically in the first season of He Fan's Big Picture View, and I believe many readers are already familiar with this book. Income inequality will be one of the most important economics issues in the 21st century, and I hope that more friends will pay attention to this topic.

Finally, we also talk about the May Storm in France in 1968. If you are interested in this period of history, I recommend you read two books, one of which is Mark Kolansky's 1968: The Year of the World Crash. This book has a special chapter on the May Storm. He writes, "In chemistry, some very stable elements can suddenly explode when combined with other apparently inactive elements." Such was the case of the May Storm in France. Another book is "The Great Splendor: The Invisible Revolution (1946-1975)" by French author Jean Fohastier. He writes that in the thirty years after the war, the May Storm of 1968 was just a cold war in a cold wind.

So far, we are done with the Seven Arts of Liberal Arts and the Seven Views of Liberal Arts. Congratulations, you have finally finished such a long way. Next, we will move on to the General Review Time. During the general review time, I will continue to lead you in reading and reviewing what we have already learned as we go along. The first two study units will focus on personal cultivation, and the last two will emphasize observing the big picture. The last study unit will be on the Analects of Confucius. Our season of book club begins with Socrates and ends with Confucius.