When l speak of the dissatisfied generation, I speak of those who strive constantly for worldly goods or material possessions. These provide avery temporary respite for satisfaction indeed. Often material objects gained are soon discarded, ignored or taken for granted.
We are living, however, in an increasingly superficial society where material objects are discarded almost as soon as they appear, to be supplanted with more and newer or better objects. We are living, as one might say, in a 'disposable' society. Gadgets, computers, cars and virtually everything is made to go out of style or fashion.
Technology moves from one change which usually means improvement, at least temporarily, to another. Material objects are not made to last but rather to wear out, to be replaced ad infinitum. Unless the latest is available, affordable and possess-able, many young people, and older ones as well, find themselves dissatisfied.
It is the same with personal relationships. Relationships and even marriages do not endure. One third of marriages end in divorce and the same un-enduring situation occurs very often in subsequent relationships and marriages. We make vows which most of us intend to keep and yet many of us do do not or cannot keep. Why is this the case? The answer or answers are not simple. In fact there are many answers. In my view, it is part of our dissatisfaction syndrome. This is not to say that past generations were entirely satisfied with their relationships or marriages. Many stayed together from pure necessity, or pressure by their religion, families or their feelings of responsibility for children - and many similar reasons.
Falling 'in love' seems to be easy but so is falling out of love. What is lacking today in all of us who feel dissatisfied is probably a lack of commitment to another person or to a principle. What is forgotten is the vow that marrIage and many other relationships are for richer or poorer, for better or for worse. In other words, when things go wrong. When all goes well, it is not hard to sustain a relationship. It is when things go wrong that we have difficulties.
It is then we seek to dispose 'he' or 'she' for another and yet another. Perhaps we expect too much from another person and too little from ourselves. The grass is always greener on the other side.
This lends to disposing of people as well as material objects. We assume that the next one (possession or partner) will be better, will be more durable. There is a poverty within ourselves which we fail to acknowledge and therefore to rectify. Thus there is no enduring quality in either the material objects we acquire of the human relationships we seek. We become dissatisfied and seek for something better.
Was I too, dissatisfied? The answer in all honest must be yes. The reason fro my own dissatisfaction was however, very different from the predominant section of society today as far as youth is concerned. I never wanted to possess great wealth, property or material possessions. If I have now accumulated all this, it was not due to my desire for it as an end in itself. That I am now comfortably well off and live in a large house is purely accidental. The house was once occupied by twenty to thirty children who were considered to be too maladjusted, handicapped, damaged, violent, destructive or self-destructive to be able to live as members of a 'normal' society. My wealth, which, as I have said, is comfortable, provides me, in some degree, with security and that is all I ever wanted.
That was not always the way for me. There were times in my twenties and even thirties when I went hungry and often did not even have a roof over my head under which to lie down or sleep in comfort. It was mostly my own fault, as I wandered around the globe looking for myself! (That was not an easy matter and I am still, to some degree, looking.) What certainly gave me grounds for dissatisfaction was that I craved for something which would give me the ability to create and still to survive, not to be rich but to be able to live in some degree of security.
I never, however, craved for material possessions or money, as I said before. I wanted just enough money so that I could create poems, stories, novels - and have the leisure to do it. It was the prospect of this which gave me pleasure, albeit I was never successful in that endeavour. It also gave meaning and substance to my life. Unfortunately I was, and still am, unsuccessful in this area and hence somewhat dissatisfied because I never published a novel, a poem or a story.
I turned elsewhere to achieve some measure of gratification by becoming a psychologist and writing numerous articles and books about my work. This gave me more satisfaction than earning the money for the day-to-day work that I did, but most especially gratifying was the work I did. Work was the means to an end rather than the end itself, in the form of financial reward, for me.
When I speak about the 'dissatisfied generation', I do not mean those who strive to achieve by developing their intellectual, physical or creative potential. There is nothing wrong with striving for these goals. They are the bringers of intrinsic satisfaction, both when striving as well as when achieving a goal. The fact that both the actions towards achievement and the actual achievement itself does not bring permanent gratification, is not a reason for not striving. At Goethe noted: das leben stereben - striving is living or being alive.
I criticise a new generation, but indubitably the same criticisms or similar criticism a were made about past ones. It is the fact that we have both avoided - and come to terms with the avoidance of - worshipping the right kind of God. I am not speaking about religion necessarily, but valuing principles of sensitivity to other people, the importance of justice and fair play, and principles on how to behave irrespective of the consequences. These are what can be substituted for both material possessions, and power and wealth.
Showing the right kind of behaviour towards other human beings irrespective of their origin, whether they are one of us or one of another, would appear to be paramount and should be inculcated by parents, by schools and the mass media and anyone influencing young persons. The failure to do this leaves every generation in a vacuum as to what to believe and how to live. It produces the seeds for the title that promotes what must be conceived and considered as a dissatisfied generation.