4 ms·

Sometimes I wish Strauss–Howe theory hadn't been hijacked. It seems noteworthy how similar (cyclical?) things are even if it's a coincidence..

edoceo 4mo ago
A key feature of the human condition is thinking "this time will be different"
- gopher_space 4mo ago
  From my perspective more like "it didn't work the last 20 times we tried it, but it damn well ought to!"
copper-float 4mo ago
What do you mean hijacked? I'm not familiar with that theory.
- Spooky23 4mo ago
  Crazy/extemist people use it as a way to justify their nonsense.
  - GolfPopper 4mo ago
    Yeah, that's my guess as to what Avicebron meant as well. Various flavors of extremists use it (like others have used "social darwinism") as a justification or excuse for their accumulation and abuses of power. "We are the 'hard men' this time needs! Shut up and do what we tell you!"
- Izkata 4mo ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss%E2%80%93Howe_generational_theory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss%E2%80%93Howe_generatio... The relevant sections for these comments: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss%E2%80%93Howe_generational_theory#Turnings https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss%E2%80%93Howe_generatio... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss%E2%80%93Howe_generational_theory#Timing_of_generations_and_turnings https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss%E2%80%93Howe_generatio... Basically we've been in a "4th Turning" for about two decades, and the 4th turning typically ends in some sort of crisis (hence the name for it, "Crisis"): Great Depression/WWII in the previous one, the US Civil War before that, the "Age of Revolution" before that, etc. The idea behind it is lessons learned last until the people who lived through the previous one die. So the 4 "turnings" repeat every 80-100 years, and some sort of major crisis is expected around now - hence talk of another Great Depression or WWIII. I don't see what GP means by "hijacked", GGP is pretty much a direct reference to exactly what it talks about. Aside, this meme is based on this theory: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/hard-times-create-strong-men https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/hard-times-create-strong-men - "hard times" represents the 4th Turning, though it's oversimplified, which makes it not really a great match.

edoceo 4mo ago

A key feature of the human condition is thinking "this time will be different"

gopher_space 4mo ago
From my perspective more like "it didn't work the last 20 times we tried it, but it damn well ought to!"

copper-float 4mo ago

What do you mean hijacked? I'm not familiar with that theory.

Spooky23 4mo ago
Crazy/extemist people use it as a way to justify their nonsense.
- GolfPopper 4mo ago
  Yeah, that's my guess as to what Avicebron meant as well. Various flavors of extremists use it (like others have used "social darwinism") as a justification or excuse for their accumulation and abuses of power. "We are the 'hard men' this time needs! Shut up and do what we tell you!"
Izkata 4mo ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss%E2%80%93Howe_generational_theory https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss%E2%80%93Howe_generatio... The relevant sections for these comments: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss%E2%80%93Howe_generational_theory#Turnings https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss%E2%80%93Howe_generatio... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss%E2%80%93Howe_generational_theory#Timing_of_generations_and_turnings https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss%E2%80%93Howe_generatio... Basically we've been in a "4th Turning" for about two decades, and the 4th turning typically ends in some sort of crisis (hence the name for it, "Crisis"): Great Depression/WWII in the previous one, the US Civil War before that, the "Age of Revolution" before that, etc. The idea behind it is lessons learned last until the people who lived through the previous one die. So the 4 "turnings" repeat every 80-100 years, and some sort of major crisis is expected around now - hence talk of another Great Depression or WWIII. I don't see what GP means by "hijacked", GGP is pretty much a direct reference to exactly what it talks about. Aside, this meme is based on this theory: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/hard-times-create-strong-men https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/hard-times-create-strong-men - "hard times" represents the 4th Turning, though it's oversimplified, which makes it not really a great match.