Millennials when old

[Eric the Green]

(05-04-2020, 12:39 PM)Warren Dew Wrote:

(05-04-2020, 07:07 AM)Blazkovitz Wrote:

(05-02-2020, 11:36 AM)Warren Dew Wrote:

(05-02-2020, 09:07 AM)Blazkovitz Wrote: -Rationalism, Millennials are definitely less prone to magical thinking than among Boomers, GIs or even Missionaries

What is your definition of "magical thinking"?  I'm curious if it matches my wife's definition.

Belief in supernatural beings, extrasensory perception, miracles. Belief that prayer and meditation can achieve anything beyond good feelings. Magical thinking is believing in anything you could use to win the Randi prize.

Thanks.  That makes sense for millenials, though I think GIs were also pretty rational.

My wife uses the definition "belief that policies will be effective because they are well intentioned", a form of magical thinking that Millennials seem to be at least as susceptible to as other generations.  Skepticism about that form of magical thinking may be more of an age thing rather than a cohort thing, though.

That belief happens on both sides of the political aisle. Libertarians and believers in the magic of supply-side trickle-down economics and the generosity of "job creaters" certainly fits the bill. But so was the belief of myself and other hippie-inclined folk that some peace and love and maybe some destiny in the stars would bring about a new age soon. Not so easy.

But good intentions married to some really-effective magic, who knows what good results can happen

And so can bad intentions wedded to effective magic can bring about results of a negative kind, as Hitler once and Trump currently demonstrates.