Lost values?

I had asked a twenty something university student recently if I am too biased to say “The new generation cannot see beyond immediate results…and cannot fathom long term outcome.” After some discussion, she agreed with my conclusion.

These are some of the realities today:

• the demand for HINI antibiotics has caused some labs to release pills without clinical trials and WHO says it is safe
• the drive to cut cost and increase shareholder values could be the reason behind substandard products being produced.  In the airline industry, this would mean defective parts and compromised passenger safety
• the need to make money fast and have tangible returns in the shortest period of time make many favour short term returns – such as playing the stock / commodity market; commission-based assignments instead of sweating industriously like their grandfathers

Many young voters and decision makers cannot identify with the values of yesteryear.  Even timeless values are thrown out because they are not hip! The list below is a broad brush comparison….

Valued by Previous Generations	Valued by Current and Next Generations
Sacrificial, others before self	Self, others second
Persevering or delayed gratification / marathon	Instant gratification / sprint
Tortoise wins the race	Hare wins the race
Long term results	Immediate results
Long shelf live	Short shelf live
Till death do us apart	Till my interests are not served
Relational	Transactional
Build maturity and intelligence	Build reputation and power
Respect for elders, those with authority	Vocal and rights focused
Focused	Distracted

Ironically, traditional values, thrown out over the years, are making a comeback. Integrity, transparency, trustworthiness, standards, communal benefits….