After analyzing almost 1.5 million books written between 1800 and 2000, psychologist Patricia Greenfield discovered that words like “self,” “choose,” “unique” and “emotion” all increased over the past two centuries, while words like “obedience,” “obligation,” “give” and “belong” decreased.
Is this because of some moral failure in modern society? Or does it simply reflect the changing values needed to thrive in an increasingly urban world?
The Pacific Standard writes: “Greenfield’s basic theory is that the social environments of urban and rural areas are fundamentally different, and humans adapt to them by adopting different values. Where obligation, duty and respect for authority serve people well in traditional rural environments, education, individualism and materialism are better fits for urban living.”
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Ann Odell is a creative strategist providing transformative services to entrepreneurs and Fortune 1000s. She is also a Baby Boomer and a passionate advocate for crossing the generational divide. You can connect with Ann on LinkedIn.
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