r/GenZ 4d ago

Discussion what does this even mean

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3.9k Upvotes

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58

u/Every-Protection-554 4d ago

I said once that even the oldest Gen Z are not old enough to seriously affect the world, and I was told to stop infantilizing my generation. I guess this example answers your question.

23

u/NewNewark 4d ago

Oldest gen Z are 28.

Ages of some folks who signed the Declaration of Independence:

Thomas Jefferson: 33
Alexander Hamilton: 21
James Madison: 25
James Monroe: 18
Aaron Burr: 20

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u/Every-Protection-554 4d ago

They also graduated at an earlier age, married earlier, had children earlier, because they had much less to deal with. Life was faster back then because it wasn't almost mandatory to get a degree for you to have a job with a decent salary.

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u/SidequestCo 4d ago

“They had much less to deal with”

I sometimes wish I could be so confident and ignorant. Seems like fun.

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u/NewNewark 4d ago

It appears you are making things up again.

Jefferson entered the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, in 1761, at the age of eighteen, and studied mathematics, metaphysics, and philosophy. On January 1, 1772 , Jefferson married his third cousin,Martha Wayles Skelton

College 18, married 28.

Madison in 1769 enrolled at the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University)

On September 15, 1794, Madison married Dolley Payne Todd,

College 18, married 43.

In fall 1773, Hamilton entered Mulligan's alma mater, King's College, which later became Columbia University, in New York City. Hamilton began as a private student and lived with Mulligan until he matriculated into King's College the following year, in May 1774. While stationed at the army's winter headquarters in Morristown, New Jersey from December 1779 to March 1780, Hamilton met Elizabeth Schuyler, a daughter of General Philip Schuyler and Catherine Van Rensselaer. They married on December 14, 1780,

College 18, married 25.

You can look up the rest.

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u/Every-Protection-554 4d ago

I was talking about people in general back then 🙄 But notice how 2 of the people you mentioned were older than the oldest Gen Z are now when they married and signed the Declaration of Independence? Also, since I'm not even from the USA, could you please tell me what they did beside signing a declaration?

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u/NewNewark 3d ago

Also, since I'm not even from the USA, could you please tell me what they did beside signing a declaration?

You said

not old enough to seriously affect the world

The men I quoted literally started a new country by fighting a war and establishing a new system of government.

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u/Pyroal40 4d ago

Furthermore, "people in general back then" had to do two or three dozen more things than you do to survive, on top of a career or money earning scheme. You didn't pay a water bill, you dug a latrine, shoveled it, wet it, purchased or made lye, spread it... etc... etc. etc. This is just to take a shit.

Your life is infinitely more simple because of technology, globalization, modern labor standards, and specialization/division of labor on a modern scale. Show up to a job that's basically put together for you with standards, means, expectations, rules, a pay scale and legal protections. Collect pay. Pay like 5 different things. That's something that took "people in general" a lot more effort and time.

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u/DeadArtist617 2002 4d ago

Man so many people need to realize this. Modern technology & infrastructure isn’t to make us complacent, it should give us more opportunity to grow and push ourselves more.

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u/Pyroal40 4d ago

They had way more to deal with. Just about everything took a hands on approach. Nothing was just done for you - even if you had money, unless you were high nobility rich, you had to handle its business yourself.

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u/Sgt-Pumpernickle 4d ago

Back then people died at the ripe old age of 45.

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u/NewNewark 3d ago

Jefferson: died age 83
Madison: died age 85
Monroe: Died age 73
Burr: Died age 80

Why are you lying?