Doesn’t it feel like we were all sold some wild bill of goods? I know millennials have been scratching their heads at the world for a long time — that recession really knocked the wind out of our work lives — but other generations have gone through it too.
u/VictorPumpenstein recently wondered:
“What is the biggest lie sold to your generation?”
And we gathered up some of the best replies from as many age groups as we could.
1. Retirement
Gen X-er here… we were told that the boomers would eventually retire. Still waiting for that to happen while rapidly approaching retirement age myself.
2. Schooling
Don’t act up in class Johnny, It will go on your PERMANENT RECORD
3. DARE
The war on drugs.
4. Recycling’s a lie
Plastic recycling.
I remember when grocery stores went from paper bags to plastic because “they’re recyclable!” Literally everything else started coming wrapped in a ton of plastic (instead of cardboard) because it was recyclable. Single use plastics were great, because we’d just recycle the plastic, and use it forever!
Turns out, it was just cheaper, and recycling had nothing to do with it. Most of that plastic can’t be recycled anyway.
5. Cursive
You will always have to write in cursive.
6. College
“If you don’t go to college, you’ll die broke and alone on the street.”
7. Nutrition
Fat is bad, sugar is good.
8. Math
You won’t always have a calculator on you!
9. Retirement
Medicare and social security will protect you. Based on how things are going, anyone with 30 years or more before retirement better have strong backup plans
10. Yeah, right
Work hard for your company and they will take care of you.
11. Put in the hours
If you work hard and accept lower pay it’ll pay off in the end
12. Credit
Growing up everyone i ever met said to never get a credit card. The only way to buy a house is with credit and the only way to actually get credit is a credit card. In my life I paid off 3 vehicles early only to be told the second they were paid off my credit was dropped to a no rating because I wasnt actively in debt.
13. You cannot
“You can be anything you want”
Not everyone can become a millionaire astronaut and rockstar and professional gamer and parent. There is a reason why some us have the most boring jobs anyone can think of
14. This won’t save you
“duck and cover,” somehow hiding under my student desk would allow survival from a nuclear attack.
15. College
All you have to do is go to college and you’ll be successful.
16. Do not wait
“good things come to those who wait”
17. Twenty six!?
“Do well in school and you’ll have a nice house, a good job, and a family before you’re twenty six”
18. Working hard
Hard work will make you financially successful.
19. Frigging weddings
Weddings, it should be a huge wedding with a shit ton of guests we don’t care about.
20. It’s constant
“It’s a one in a lifetime event! These things don’t happen all the time” – In reference to things like wars, devastating floods, wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, mass shootings/gun violence, terrorist attacks, and now… pandemics, apparently.
How many more ‘once in a lifetime’ freak events am I going to be living through? When can we have some peace and quiet?