The Decline Of Stability

That’s the easiest way to conceptualize the modern moment.

Back in November 2022, I wrote an article about the generalized decline in meaning (talk about a Thanksgiving-adjacent topic, eh?) and I’ve long considered that as a thing in society. Why would so many people get so livid about ideology wars if they had more meaning, purpose, and connection? I’d auger, for example, that 90% of people who lose their minds over “trans kids” — on both sides, honestly — do not know a single trans child in their orbit. Maybe you think 90 is too high. I don’t, personally.

I’ve long felt there was something “off” about people’s connection back to the supposedly “big” elements of adulthood, which I think we do see reflected in some data — people living with their parents longer, later date of first marriage, live births per woman, organized religion, etc.

I am not claiming most people are unhappy, per SE. There’s some data indicating they are unhappier, but most people I know are happy and have some friends and feel good about some things. But even if they have a sweet job or three beautiful kids, there is still some sense of “languishing.”

Now, for better or worse (I would often argue worse), people do get a lot of “meaning” from their job, or at least a paycheck that allows them to feel significant in…