I just read the most amazing article by Penelope Trunk called “The real deal about GenY: they’re inherently conservative” while on my quest to find information about a topic I’ve been noodling on lately. My area of interest: I want to know if GenY people do more drugs or not and how the “ideal society” mentality we’re all working towards plays into our usage levels. On one hand, I would think we do less because in a perfect world, drug addiction isn’t riddled throughout a society. On the other, I would think we do more because we DON’T live in the ideal world we envision where we are all the stellar, special individual in society our parents convicnced us we’d be and disillusionment leads to higher drug use. Still percolating on that one… I need to see more long term study statistics.

 

Back to the article though, there are very few times that I am able to identify myself as stereotypical (I know, that’s a stereotypical statement in and of itself) but this article really hit the nail on the head for me. Every topic she touched on I could directly relate to AND agree with her statements. Something seemed… familiar about the values she was highlighting.

Then something dawned on me… GenY folks are most likened to Quakers in many regards. That’s right, Quakers! I went to a Quaker college as a non-Quaker (and as a non-christian) because I love the values they perpetuate within their community as well as within the external community they interact with of:

 

Peace – Quakers are pacifists, conscientious objectors, and peace-makers. Just like GenY, they don’t feel war is necessary to posses asa tool to govern with. If there’s a problem that arises, just as with a GenY, Quakers group together to come to general consensus. Conflict gets nowhere with both groups, community involvement and teamwork will get you everywhere, fast.

 

Equality - Quakers refer to everyone, regardless of status or rank, on first name basis and refer to each other as Friends. All are equal in the ideal world formulated in a Millennial’s mind. We don’t care if our friends are gay, if they’re of different racial makeup, if they’re atheist, muslim, christian etc, or what their socioeconomic status is… neither do Quakers (though, don’t misunderstand me, there are some Quaker groups that are against homosexuality as they are considered a Christian organization, on a whole Quakers are not known to be anti-…shoot, anti-anything really unless it creates conflict). Quakers are the most inviting, non-judgmental, respectful group of people I’ve ever encountered and I’ve been a helluva lot of places on Earth.

 

Integrity - Quakers, if you’ve ever crossed one in your life, are on a whole hard working, honest, and straightforward in their life outlook. It shows through in their dealings with people. They, like Penelope pointed out of GenY’ers, aren’t complainers. They take life in stride and feel the same sense of moral and social responsibility Millennials are compelled by.

 

Simplicity - Here’s the place where, for a second, I thought there was no congruence between Quakers and Generation Y. It’s hard to draw a correlation between a group of people who choose to dress simply, opting not for superfluous physical possessions but for simple living to the high-tech, fast paced information mongers GenY is shaping out to be.

 

However, the common ground is blatantly apparent at second look: each group, in the most ideal of settings, believes in being environmentally irresponsible, both believe in simplistic living and it shows in their eco-responsible living. Quakers don’t denounce technology like the group they’re most commonly confused with: The Amish. Technology abounds in the Quaker life much like the GenY existence and, just as the GenY “go green” thus have the Quakers been for centuries.  Modern technology, if consumed in any but a simplistic way, can and will engulf one’s life. Better living through the aid of technology is, in essence, the core of living simply.

 

I can tell you right now my iPhone simplifies my life a whole heck of a lot instead of the old paper planner that got discombobulated regularly I used to carry.

 

All that said I do understand that yes, Generation Y is not a religion, and I don’t mean to upset anyone, I just found this to be fascinating.  The revolutionary Quakers have been the model for Generation Y all along and we had no idea.  For centuries they’ve been at the forefront of civil rights just as Generation Y now is pushing for the same, they’ve been the ultimate “green” community that is technologically adept,  and I think we could learn a lot from them. 

 
Coming from an agnostic, I can’t believe I just said that but it’s true. The Quakers can teach us about the work/life balance we strive for, ways to save the Earth through cohabitation with Her and about conflict resolution.

 

Now if we could just do something to help everyone understand GenY a little better in the same ways we are beginning to understand ourselves…

 

<3