Look around for generational articles and you’re going to find plenty on Boomers, those folks who were born in the early 1960s etc., and you’re going to find plenty on Generation Z and plenty on Millennials, but you’re probably not going to find that much on Generation X. That’s because they’re off the grid.

The Runt of the Family
Part of the problem with Generation X is size. They are one of the smallest generations in the last century. The other problem is that they predominantly have had to drive their own success with little help from anyone else. Gen X got a ton of crap from their parents who were practically handed every benefit across the board and then told their kids they were spoiled. In addition, Gen X ended up suffering from all of the population explosion afterwards, whether it’s in the economy and jobs, in education, in the cost of living, in inflation, you name it. And then they’re told by their parents, "Why can’t you do as good as me?" And, in addition, very older generation gets criticism from the following younger ones yet is still expected to provide care, shelter, food education support. It’s not surprising that generation X literally becomes the definition of the sandwich generation.

Psychological Tea Kettle Go Boom
All of that stress and frustration is going to build up a goliath amount of frustration, so it’s not surprising Generation X is also probably one of the least humorous generations out there. They are literally pissed off most of the time and, regardless of which side of the political aisle they come from, Gen X is extremely distrusting of a government of their elders, of younger people, of the system, and of society in general because they’ve been burned too many times. Again all of that frustration builds up and shapes a person, which also makes Generation X folks largely unsociable; so they get a bad reputation.

Roots in Tech Before Tech was Cool
However, Gen X is also the generation that has been the first to fully embrace the Internet and find ways to make a living off of it. They are the key players in most of the initial tech companies that exploded from the late 1990s and 2000s and that laid down the framework for what we enjoy today. Gen X managers are now the ones who are in the driver seat with regards to the next generation in financial and political control, and it pisses off everybody to no end because they’re really not interested in anybody’s bullshit, and they’re really not interested in anybody’s excuses. The lack of numbers is the weakness of Generation X.

What Happens Next?
So what’s to expect of them the next 20 years as the smallest generation marches into retirement over the next decade or two? First off, Gen Xers are probably unlikely to go into retirement willingly; they will always be working. The reason being is because so many of them have been through instances of insufficient income or denied benefits. Their parents had or got laid off or were passed over on jobs, and that builds up a sense of reliance by surviving all of those instances to never, ever, live on someone else as a dependent. Self-sufficiency for them creates natural workaholics.

Secondly, Generation X will probably be the reason why multiple industries begin to fail. It’s not that they did anything. Gen Xers simply represent a far less demand for services. Their parents greedily gobbled up resources, whether it's healthcare or consumer services or finance or real estate, etc. Generation X by comparison tends to be far more frugal and far more focused on making things last for the dollar. As a result, they don’t spend as much, they don’t consume as much, and they won’t drive the market as much. So, most of the economies that have lived on inflated revenues from Boomers will now suddenly find themselves in an economic famine.

Third, Generation X will find themselves in a surplus of retirement assets (that is if their Boomer parents don’t blow it all or gobble up their own retirement with the cost of healthcare). Healthcare's price tag a very real risk as the typical cost of putting someone in assisted living care runs anywhere from $9,000 to $12,000 a month now. In many cases, Generation X won’t have any inheritance to receive because it will have already been spent by their parents, but where they do they will have more than they need and will likely either hold it as investment or liquidate assets for ready cash in an ugly economy.

And How Does That Play Out For Everyone Else?
What does that mean for generations to come? Millennials, who would be the next round, really shouldn’t be expecting to get promotions by Generation X retiring early. Fortunately, because of smaller numbers, there will be far more positions, and so Generation X and Millennials may find themselves in direct competition with each other, being peers to fill up the remaining seats that are available on boards and management crews. However, more often, companies are looking to streamline, and to the extent they can get things done with less, which Generation X is known, those companies may do without the extra seats. In that case, Millennials will find themselves shut out of upward movement until Generation X actually physically walks out the door. Which one manifests remains to be seen. There is a very fierce fight going on right now between Generation X and millennials over who has more vitality for a company over the next 5 to 10 years.

In the entrepreneurial world, it can be expected that Generation X will continue to keep carving their paths, utilizing their experience and hard lessons for how to run efficient, successful businesses on bootstrap budgets and maximizing income is the mindset that the successful types among Generation X consistently provide. 

Keep Your Praises, They Mean Nothing
Some might think that this is puff up article, but the reality is Generation X doesn’t need to puff up anything. They’ve earned their stripes through hard knocks and experience. They’ve got nothing to prove to anybody, including readers, and that’s what makes Generation X so irritatingly independent. They have no contingencies needing anybody’s help, which also tends to work against the norms of most society. COVID was Disneyland for many Gen Xers; they could finally focus on work and productivity without endlessly banal cubicle hallway chatting and useless meetings.

Dealing with Xers
A good number of millennials and younger complain in the work-world about Generation X being know-it-alls, too loud, too brash and blunt, and try to force them to behave by younger norms. This is a mistake. To take advantage of Generation X skills and talents at functioning independently let them handle and take on more than others. Let them put their energy of leadership into breaking into new markets and tough new barriers that others shy away from. It’s what generation X has grown up with and is used to. Let their knowledge and their attitude go at it on the toughest task. The others can develop without the pressure of dealing with the worst of the worst.

Gen Xers are that battle-hardened sergeant in the platoon who doesn’t give a shit about the formalities. He knows what war is like. He knows how to keep his helmet on his head and his rear end from being blown off for what it’s worth.