Have manners, act like a lady, be a gentleman, express yourself, use your words, ask yourself who what when where and why; all phrases we hear, learn, and witness daily. From a young age, we are told to be ambitious, be strong, be yourself, ask questions, and don't be satisfied with the bare minimum. If we are reading an article, watching a movie, the same format repeats itself in different ways. Who, what, when, where, and why is the formula to any movie, TV show, classroom lesson, stories, and the list can go on and on.
What happens when we forget all of the lessons that were persistently embedded at a young age and only focus on the why? In a society where things are being blamed upon each other, some are not truly understanding the meaning behind "why." Growing up we were encouraged to ask questions, challenge an idea, and don't settle for the bare minimum; keep exploring the cause and effect of asking why. Can we, Millennial, be blamed for the current situation when dealing with social, economic, political, and global issues? Focused on the last word in the common phrase every student has heard, used, and the driving force behind them. "Why don't you release the records," "why did you cause this?," why is it that you can't act normal?," why couldn't you be normal?," why are you so stubborn?," are all phrases that we have heard or spoken, each question does not target the root of the question. Teaching children to be expressive, gain knowledge, and be respectful is possible, what makes it impossible is the way "why" is used.
Structuring a sentence using why with a harmful meaning, is not only going against everything we have ever learned, but it doesn't help anyone. "Why are you so annoying?" is the ever so popular argument starter, but instead of directing it as their fault, is it possible to have a conversation consisting of compassion and truly caring about one another?
By now most of you are thinking "okay why is this so important?" and that the beauty and ironic twist! While I was talking about "why" all the other lessons did not present themselves, "what is being referred?", "how can this be a serious argument?", "where is this information coming from and where is this going?" You can not have "why" without considering the others. Talking about why in a way that is challenging to one's perspective, is how it should be used. Without knowing the content behind the why, how can we learn from it?
Being respectful when questioning one another, presenting yourself as a learner when discussing opposite views, and having a courteous manner when someone is questioning your beliefs. What is wrong with giving others the opportunity to learn a different side? When did asking questions and being curious trigger our defensive side? Being told to be expressive, unique, polite, gather opinions, have an opinion, be passionate, and have no judgment to others, how have all these positive mindsets change to a "caution tread lightly"? We are told to speak your mind and have an opinion, but don't vocalize it; be educated and passionate, but don't show it or be a "know it all"; question things you don't understand/like, but don't talk back, respect and love the way that you are, but conform to societies normal. These constant contradictions don't allow for a safe sturdy foundation then causing a tug of war between being true to yourself or pleasing society.
Millennials have been targeted for the violence, failure, and destruction of our country. Although generalizing is never accurate, stating that all millennials are violent, lazy, entitled, and self-absorbed is unfair to the ones that are trying to better themselves in hopes of making a change. Basing an argument on generalizing, how can anyone be certain that the entire generation has given up? Why do we get accused of the chaos, when we have not had an opportunity to make a significant impact? Yes we might have lazy moments, have times when we want to walk away, and living with harsh accusations, but when has a generation not been that way? Asking why millennials are in the current state they are in, is more important than referencing to your own childhood and asking why we're not like that. In reality, any parent who compares the punishment they enforce on their children to the punishment they would have gotten when they were young is contributing to the already shaky foundation.
Truth is, the world is changing, we are in a generation where technology is rapidly developing allowing millennials to access information fast, quicker, saving time in applying it towards the world. We are accepting different lifestyles that they face whether they agree with them or not, that is their opinion and right to have. Changing the usage of why and evaluating the "who, what, when, where, and how" can allow past, present, and future generations to be encouraged, empowered, and accepting. With all this being said, in your opinion, why is this a bad thing?
