A friend recently said that he identifies more with his grandparents than his parents. I agreed, and with some more thought I think I know why.
A brief overview of the four turnings model of Anglo-American history, if you’re not already familiar. Quotes are taken from the book, focusing on the last two cycles. I suspect historians would hate the four turnings idea, but it’s been a very useful mental model for me.
First Turning: High
an upbeat era of strengthening institutions and weakening individualism, when a new civic order implants and an old values regime decays
- Reconstruction and Gilded Age (1865-1886)
- American High (1946-1964)
Second Turning: Awakening
a passionate era of spiritual upheaval when the civic order comes under attack from a new values regime
- Third Great Awakening (1886-1908)
- Consciousness Revolution (1964-1984)
Third Turning: Unraveling
a downcast era of strengthening individualism and weakening institutions, when the old civic order decays and the new values regime implants
- World War I and Prohibition (1908-1929)
- Culture Wars (1984-2008)
Fourth Turning: Crisis
a decisive era of secular upheaval, when the values regime propels the replacement of the old civic order with a new one.
- Great Depression and World War II (1929-1946)
- Millennial Crisis (2008-2033?)
In this model, my friend and I came of age in an unraveling era–and so did our grandparents. Our parents, on the other hand, came of age during a high age, which is very different from a time of crisis. Now that we are facing in the midst of the crisis, we are naturally drawn to those who faced such times before.
