Failure is not an option
Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2024 5:26 am
Young people are strongly imbued with this idea of feasibility. For example, no less than 87 percent of young people (pdf) are certain that one day they will realize what they are currently dreaming of. And 88 percent of 16 to 25 year olds fully agree with the statement 'Where there's a will, there's a way'. No wonder, they are also bombarded from all sides with this ideal of feasibility. See for example the 'We Are NEW WAVE' video to promote Talpa's new youth lifestyle platform, in which rapper Lil' Kleine explains in great detail that young people can do anything, as long as they go for it.
This is first and foremost a liberating and empowering message. It puts individual freedom first: study what you want. Live where you want. Get a job that suits you. Have sex with whoever you want, regardless of what others think. The only thing expected in return is maximum effort.
At that point, things get exciting for Generation Z. The idea that people can make their future dreams come true is 100 percent their own responsibility. According to psychologist Paul Verhaegen, this belief leads to obsessive thinking about success and happiness. Failure is not an option. And because failure is not an option, optimal self-development is not just a luxury, but a pure necessity. If you do not take your personal values, your drive and your goals seriously, philippines telegram data it is impossible to clearly define and maximise your success and happiness. The development mission thus leaves its mark on the philosophy and choices of Gen Z. It is not only the freedom to discover, it is a compelling assignment to identify and realise their personal goals.
What does this require of us? – Mature perspective
When 75-year-olds look back on their lives, they see a path full of peaks, valleys and unexpected turns. Life rarely goes as planned and failure is inextricably linked to this. That is why we cannot expect young people to formulate in detail as teenagers or in their twenties where they want to go with the rest of their lives. The importance that we – adults – as a social environment attach to young people making the right choices, adds fuel to the fire of their uncertainty. What if you choose wrong?
Complete certainty about the right choice does not exist and is unattainable, especially in your formative years. Of course we want young people to start a well-considered education or job. But we, the more experienced, adult environment, must help them put things into perspective. Sometimes you simply have to start. Choosing is necessary, but no one can predict the effect of that choice in advance.
Self-promotion: in the spotlight
The spotlight is more accessible than ever for ambitious young people. Via social media, Gen Z can show themselves to the outside world anytime and anywhere: to friends, family and (possibly) the rest of the world. This offers new opportunities for self-profiling and many young people make enthusiastic use of this. They share their own look, achievements and ideas to their heart's content. This is fun and necessary: the option to show yourself is slowly but surely becoming a task that is difficult to ignore.
This is first and foremost a liberating and empowering message. It puts individual freedom first: study what you want. Live where you want. Get a job that suits you. Have sex with whoever you want, regardless of what others think. The only thing expected in return is maximum effort.
At that point, things get exciting for Generation Z. The idea that people can make their future dreams come true is 100 percent their own responsibility. According to psychologist Paul Verhaegen, this belief leads to obsessive thinking about success and happiness. Failure is not an option. And because failure is not an option, optimal self-development is not just a luxury, but a pure necessity. If you do not take your personal values, your drive and your goals seriously, philippines telegram data it is impossible to clearly define and maximise your success and happiness. The development mission thus leaves its mark on the philosophy and choices of Gen Z. It is not only the freedom to discover, it is a compelling assignment to identify and realise their personal goals.
What does this require of us? – Mature perspective
When 75-year-olds look back on their lives, they see a path full of peaks, valleys and unexpected turns. Life rarely goes as planned and failure is inextricably linked to this. That is why we cannot expect young people to formulate in detail as teenagers or in their twenties where they want to go with the rest of their lives. The importance that we – adults – as a social environment attach to young people making the right choices, adds fuel to the fire of their uncertainty. What if you choose wrong?
Complete certainty about the right choice does not exist and is unattainable, especially in your formative years. Of course we want young people to start a well-considered education or job. But we, the more experienced, adult environment, must help them put things into perspective. Sometimes you simply have to start. Choosing is necessary, but no one can predict the effect of that choice in advance.
Self-promotion: in the spotlight
The spotlight is more accessible than ever for ambitious young people. Via social media, Gen Z can show themselves to the outside world anytime and anywhere: to friends, family and (possibly) the rest of the world. This offers new opportunities for self-profiling and many young people make enthusiastic use of this. They share their own look, achievements and ideas to their heart's content. This is fun and necessary: the option to show yourself is slowly but surely becoming a task that is difficult to ignore.