Young People

For many young people, the late 1960's was a period of revolt against the moral values that had been the strength and pride of the past generations. They did not want to be hardworking and thrifty as their ancestors had been. They rejected the idea that duty must come before pleasure, and that individuals must make sacrifices when it is necessary for the good of their children or of their community. They condemned patriotism as the cause of wars, and rejected all forms of authority—whether in government, organized religion, school, or family. All these narrow ideas, they declared, were things of the past and had always been wrong anyway.

It was a distressing time for their elders. Previously happy parents found themselves scorned by their young rebels, who accused them of being too concerned with money and too anxious to impress the neighbors. "True success," the young people explained, "is not a matter of money or position. It's a matter of self-fulfillment. And self-fulfillment consists of reaching one's goals and achieving happiness in one's own way without paying attention to rules, duties, or the opinions of others. We do have a duty to ourselves that is more important than duty to others, even to our own children."

Short Answer Questions

1. How were many young people in the late 1960's different from their elders?
2. When pleasure and duty conflicted, the elder generations ____.
3. The young generation in the late 1960's didn't think the love of the country necessary because they believed ____.
4. Parents were unhappy with their children because they found ____.
5. What seemed to be more important to many young people in the late 1960's than money and position?

(Keys.)