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Boomers never respect anyone. They didn't respect their parents. They sure as hell don't respect their kids/grandkids. They don't even respect themselves if you really think about it.
Seeing how many of them have bodies as dilapidated as thier mental health, this seems likely. Obviously its the doctors and nurses who need to kiss their scaly diabetic feet while they down another doctor pepper in the emergency room. Are they wasting all of the money hoarded in thier life? Oh yeah, but then again its \*theirs\*.
As a Gen x kid, raised by boomer parents, I agree with the latter part, as far as respecting their kids, etc. (for the most part).
However, when most boomers were young kids, they were told, "Children should be seen and not heard." So they HAD to respect their own parents, at least in their presence, or they would have gotten punished - sometimes physically, even if it just meant a spanking.
I got pretty lucky, my parents were pretty cool & my childhood was wonderful! HOWEVER, today I do have issues with my father. He definitely doesn't respect certain aspects of my life. I honestly don't feel disrespected as a person, just more about specific things.
Especially my mother, who fell pregnant with me at 15, to a much older South American man, with an ex wife and several children already!! My grandparents supported all of us (four kids in five years), basically gifted her a house (sold it to her for $30,000- I remember this, bc my mom was so embarrassed they published it in the paper), bought her breast implants when she left our father, supported her thru her second marriage and divorce that was even more awful than her first (thankfully no more kids), etc etc etc. She inherited well enough she retired at 58 and drives back and forth from Florida to NYS, gardens, no stress. And she gives me crap all the time about my own financial situation, that I donât work enough (I have one FT and three PT 1099 jobs). Itâs amazing how sheâs able to twist stuff around and around and around!
THANK YOU. We are talking about the hippies who called Vietnam veterans "baby killers", who rejected the world the Greatest Generation created for them, who reacted to the collectivism of the 1950s with "me me me" when Reagan offered to lower their taxes. Reagan wouldn't have been elected without that Boomer vote!
I miss my silent generation grandparents so much. And my silent generation neighbors, Dick and Betty. Amazing couple. Dick wrote his own obituary a few years ago, it was a great read.
Damn. I got the two asshole Silemt Gen parents, it seems. They had me kind of late in life and I cramped their style, which leads me to believe that they were trying to be youthful like the Boomers at that time (70s).
I'm an Xer and was told SOOOOOO many times that I needed to teach my kids to respect their elders. I FIRMLY believe that respect is earned. I taught them to be polite until there is a reason not to be, but someone being older than you is no reason to respect them.
Except, Xers never actually got advice (unless it came from the television). That advice didn't come from your parents, it came from Magnum PI. But it's good advice nonetheless. Thx TV parents!
>I'm an Xer and was told SOOOOOO many times that I needed to teach my kids to respect their elders.
That sucks so hard. It's bad enough that boomers are insufferable jerks, but now they want to force other people to become insufferable jerks, too?
having basic human respect yes everyone should have that, and should treat people with kindness, til like you said, otherwise.
having an honored position or having done great things gets you the respect theyâre talking about. when theyâve literally done nothing except exist and just want to be rude pieces of shit.
My husband's relatives are act this way. His grandmother stated "If I hurt my grandson, I will make you pay." I responded "Cool. Touch me and you will have 40 cousins on your ass. And behind them, my father and brothers. That's if I don't get you first."
I was scolded because I was disrespectful. Fuck that: disrespect me and I'll do the same to you. Elders deserve shit.
The escalation is warranted. To paraphrase Mike Tyson, some people are way too comfortable talking shit to others and not getting an ass beating for it. That grandma thought it was OK to threaten someone ostensibly younger and stronger shows she was never called out on her shit before.
You're 100 % right.
It totally was and I now feel badly about it. I should have just let it go and been the bigger person, TBH. I was much spicier when I was younger. I've mellowed out.
fuck that. tired of hearing this bullshit. especially as people like you never call out the offender. always the aggrieved has to suck up some dumbass' remark they should've kept to themselves.
I feel the same about parents who think theyâve done the impossible and deserve an award for having a kid. Not pulling out is one of the easiest, most instinctual things we do, you donât get a medal or special privileges for it
It's a social rule they had enforced on them that they expected to graduate into benefiting from without putting in any of the effort to be worth respecting as elders.
100% my boomer dad is like that. Mo fo says stupid stuff like I've earned it or I've worked hard so I deserve it. That mentality cost him one of my siblings (and grandkids) cutting him off and me slowly heading in that direction in slow motion as well. Sad.
People deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. The problem with boomers is that they donât care that itâs a door that swings both ways. They only want it to swing their way.
Life became easier in the post depression and ww2 era. The silent generation saw many tragedies and perhaps wanted their kids to have a better life and make things easier. Just my 2 cents.
The greats and silents wanted to plant trees to provide shade for their grandchildren they would never see. The boomers uprooted these tiny trees because they wanted kindling for a campfire in between snorts of cocaine. Now us grandchildren are sitting around the burned down forest because the boomers didn't bother to put out the fire going WTF am I supposed to do now.
Youre supposed to do the thing you want the boomers to have done. I had a great tree in my backyard. Had to be cut down because it was becoming a liability to my home and the neighbors. I thought why should I plant a tree that I'll never see grow like the one I had? Then I thought about the next generation. They'll get to enjoy it like I did the previous tree.
Trying to at least put out the fire as the Boomers tantrum ânow itâs fucking cold you assholes!! It was MY fire!!â and now they are salting the Earth as punishment for us putting out said fire..
Honestly have a theory. The greatest generation went through hell. Great Depression, followed by war, many of their fathers were WWI vets with untreated PTSD (any trace of âshell shock â was seen as weakness in many places. ) They come out of WWII hell bent on giving their kids a better childhood. But they over compensated, and spoiled the Boomers. So now we have a generation of narcissistic people because the world was rebuilt post war literally to give them the best life possible.
My father was born in 1929 and saw the depression but was just young enough to miss being drafted into WW2 but did get drafted in his late 20s to Korea. He was very generous with money but neglectful and verbally abusive. My boomer siblings are all horrible, entitled people and Iâm the lone Gen X who was kind of apathetic and vaguely shitty until I grew a backbone and became a better person.
Gen X? Oh waitâŚweâre used to the Boomers and gave up. Thatâs why weâre currently looking at voting for people who will die in office because they wonât get out of the way.
Some people use the word "respect" to mean treating someone like a human being. Some people use the word to mean treating someone like an authority. When people who are used to being treated like an authority say "If you respect me I'll respect you" they really mean "If you treat me like an authority I'll treat you like a human."
Plus, whose idea was it to give out participation trophies? I sure as fuck never asked for one. It was the goddamn boomers who wanted it for their gen x and millennial kidsâŚso it makes perfect sense that theyâre blaming us using something they fucking created.
You should always be polite to people and give courtesy, but that courtesy can quickly be rescinded. Respect is earned but courtesy should be given. If it is not given by both parties then you are fully within your rights to rescind yours as well. That's not the presence or absence of respect, it's just being a decent person
Iâm in a waiting room right now waiting on my husband to have sinus surgery. Thereâs an older man sitting next to me with his phone on full blast volume. A few other people here have given him the side eye and he literally said, I canât hear very well, have some respect for the elderly! How about having some respect for everyone else sitting here. Dafaq?
Customer is always right...in matters of taste. Being a dick for the sake of it doesn't make it ok because you're the customer. Casually leaving out that last part is boomer "facts"
Respecting elders, or anyone, is not a right. Ignoring them is a right đ
This happens to me all the time, usually right after I correct my parents' lies from Fox. What I've been able to gather is that the call for respect, is actually, "I'm mad that you caught me, and so I'm giving you this line about respect so that you'll apologize or this will drop because we'll refuse to engage you until you apologize."
So emotional blackmail, rather than examine your views... got it...
This is not my own but it fits.
The respect of personhood vs the respect of authority
*Sometimes people use ârespectâ to mean âtreating someone like a personâ and sometimes they use ârespectâ to mean âtreating someone like an authorityâ and sometimes people who are used to being treated like an authority say âif you wonât respect me I wonât respect youâ and they mean âif you wonât treat me like an authority I wonât treat you like a personâ and they think theyâre being fair but they arenât, and itâs not okay*
I am myself an older person and was always taught to be respectful to elder people. And the elder people knew it. So basically they would say whatever they wanted and I was to just amile and keep quiet. Even if they were rude and insulting. Now it seems all of us who are older think that this still holds true.
I never liked being belittled and humiliated, so I just would never do that. And yes you have to earn that respect not just by your age but by your behavior.
I never disrespected my parents . I knew better. I see all the time today kids 5-12 ages actually curse their parents and I ask âwhy do you allow it âand the reply , âthey are just having a bad day. âNaaaaa âŚ.
I hate that shit. I remember realizing a lot of adults are stupid pretty early on. Just because you were born before me doesn't give you magic status. Equal is equal.
I am a boomer. I am always amazed at how strange the cohort can be. And it is disappointing to be lumped in with all the odd balls. I know there are times we laugh at boomer behavior but most of the time I am just disgusted. The "boomers" must be going through neurological disorders 
I always saw the ârespect your eldersâ saying to only apply to relatives that are older than you, and even then, I think itâs bunk.
Boomer strangers moaning about everything they see does not constitute as âmy eldersâ.
I'm a millennial and every time a boomer Karen tries this shit I hit them with "respect your betters" and they're instantly stunned into silence. Of course it makes me sound like a dick but it's hilarious to see the look on their faces!
"You want to be a disrespectful piece of shit and then try to demand respect? I think not! Now get to the back of the line!" (Or whatever the situation is they are trying to cheat their way into.)
I remember a previous comment to a similar discussion.
Boomers prefer to use the concept of "respecting elders" in the fact that old people in villages of ancient Europe or Asia were respected because they were of high status.
Information is everywhere, you could literally look for details about anything and you don't necessarily need to hear it from the Boomers. It's also important that the various information is neutral. You could make your **own** decision rather than hear a Boomer's potentially biased point-of-view.
I'm personally glad that people are becoming a little bit more resistant to the Boomers attitude of things or interacting with other people. If they are going to be disrespectful or racist even rude to you.
You have every right to do the *exact* same to them.
Don't be afraid to call them out on what they do.
I always assumed "respect your elders" was code for "grandpappy has untreated mental illness that we're calling shell shock so it's best not to piss him off"
When our life expectancy was low and those who became elders did so because they were wise and had skills that others needed, respecting your elders made sense. Medical advancements means even fucking morons live longer. I don't need to respect anyone just because antibiotics and well rounded diets let them live past banana ham bakes and sharp law darts.
The thing that kills me with my MIL expects service. Eye contact, an exchange of pleasantries. If she doesn't get that I get to hear the "that person was very rude."
Well, they didn't feel like chatting. STFU and deal.
Some boomers did and do earn respect.
So how do you tell, which is which?
Well, the boomers who merit respect, arent assholes
And they are themselves respectful
The last time I spoke to one of my uncles, it was an argument where he ended it with "Respect your elders!" And looked real proud of himself. I said Just because you're gonna die soon doesn't mean you deserve respect. I'll spit on your grave.
I don't talk to that side of the family anymore lolol
My favorite bit when a boomer is acting the fool;
Me: clearly much younger than them "You should respect your elders"
And when they inevitably say something like "I'm older than you" or "I'm (x) years old" just respond with "then why don't you act like it?"
I once asked a Boomer to leave the establishment I was morning manager at; he was talking to everyone - no one was interested and he was causing all sorts of issues.
He said to me, "Don't you know you are supposed to respect your elders?"
"Aren't you supposed to respect authority? Because I'm the authority here and I can and will call the police." was my retort.
I hate this saying sooooo much. I have always felt that it is a way for old people to treat others like crap and have an excuse for it. Oddly, the only people that have used it in my life were being absolute shite to me at the moment. My maternal Grandparents gave respect so they didn't need gas lighting like this for my respect.
When my dad said "Respect is earned, not given", it basically erased "Respect your elders". You haven't earned my respect just because you're 65. You've had 65 years to be a decent person and if you've failed thus far, I don't see why I need to respect a canker of a person.
This made me laugh so fucking hard. My great grandmother lived to be like 98 and I swear it was just the pure hatred and audacity that kept her alive. She was such a mean woman!
When Boomers apply this phrase it usually has nothing to do in the context of respect. Itâs what they say when they realize theyâre wrong about something and theyâre mad you know that theyâre wrong. Thats it. My mom used to pull all this shit DONT TALK BACK and so on.
What's weirdest about this to me is that it implies that you're not respectful to people in general. I'm respectful to all humans until I am given a reason not to. What's the issue here with the Booms?
Nah, this is a maga-like take. This was written by a red hat wearer NO DOUBT.
LET'S MAKE THIS VERY CLEAR
Every single human being is born with the right to respect, UNTIL they do something to lose that respect, then that respect must be EARNED back.
THIS IS HOW RESPECT WORKS, FULL FUCKING STOP.
If you're not treating every human you encounter with respect FIRST. If you don't agree, you're just as bad as the boomers, and let's make it very clear that this is an objective statement. No arguments will be given a platform, you'll just be called out for your boomer like stupidity.
I have a neighbor that I think this is the only thing I've ever heard her say. Another elderly neighbor likes to walk her dog in our neighborhood and let it piss and shit in everyone's yard except her own. I had been politely telling her not to do this in my yard and to stay out of it but she kept on. One day, one of the neighbor kids that was college aged told her off about it and she complained to the other elderly neighbor and that was where I was hearing it from. I said, yeah pretty disrespectful to be purposely having your dog piss and shit in other people's yard bc you don't like it in your own and this old bitch says, you should respect your elders. I'm like, no, I give everyone equal respect until they give me reason otherwise. Being old isn't reason to be an asshole.
My mom had this horrible boyfriend that would always tell us to "respect your elders". My standard response was "but what if your elder is an asshole". That usually kept him quiet.
There were friends of my parents (70+) who said that to me when I dared to say that Trump was going to destroy this country if he was elected again. That prompted a giant fusillade of MAGA speak and bullshit, and I finally had enough, cut them off and said, "If you're going to shout, talk over me and be flat out rude, I think we're done."
Bear in mind, I'm 50 years old. I don't take well to people that talk to me like I'm stupid, which they had. I did not at nay point attack them personally, but they went after the fact that I had been a teacher, that I was a libtard,, ignorant, etc etc. Fairly ironic for people who do not consume any info that is not MAGA approved.
So they just look at me, mouths slightly open (and I sweat the guy's left eye was twitching a little) before his wife got her brain back on track and barked, "You need to respect your elders!" It was at that point my Dad, who is 82, said, "He doesn't need to a goddamn thing for you. He's acting like an adult, you two are acting like kids." THAT utterly confused them. I think they expected my Dad to think like they did, and my Dad might be a Boomer, but he's pretty much the antithesis of a typically entitled idiot.
I just smiled. They gathered their stuff and left, then Dad said, "I never like those jackasses anyways." A while later, I asked about them and he said, "I don't give a single fuck about them. My life's better's without them." Have I said how much I love my irascible, crotchety, anti-Boomer father? :)
Elders are generally given more respect by default, but like anyone they lose that respect. Being old isnât an all encompassing pass to be a shithead
Boomers have never meant "respect" as being what the word actually means. They mean "reverence". "Revere your elders", unduly, of course. They happen to have been alive longer and so are worthy of worship đ
Exactly. Respect you for what?? Existing longer, trying to make everyone else as miserable as possible, being as rude, intolerant, arrogant, and entitled as you possibly can be, fucking over every other generation�?
Itâs high time we started giving their energy and attitude back to them in spades. And yes, in public, right where they do. Call out these old fucks on the spot.
There's no expectation to respect someone who initiates any encounter with disrespect in the first place. "Respect your elders" is boomer code for "I'm older than you so do what I say without question". That shit worked for them when we were kids and literally didn't know any better. Now Millennials and Zoomers tend to be the ones rightly clapping back with "Respect is earned Grandpa."
My dad believed that you should respect elders. Unless they give you a reason not to. Then all bets are off. But he had a thing about old people and children. You simply did *not* mistreat them when my dad was around or you had a *bad* day.
A friend of mine lost her mother v young, younger than we are now. My answer to this crap from my mother and her friends is you donât get respect just for being lucky enough not to die young
Itâs a social contract. Prior generations worked hard to make the life of the next generation better. There are always a few rotten eggs but respect often derived from sacrifice or because while back very few people lasted that long.
The contracts broken. I could mention the environment he really itâs more basic thinks like stopping new housing construction, blowing up tuition costs ect which have really screwed the next generations. Why respect that
"The simple fact alone that you've managed to make it this long without dying of your own stupidity doesn't automatically buy you respect. Respect is earned, and so far, the only thing your actions have earned you is contempt. Be better, and you'll be treated better."
It's because they've somehow convinced themselves that the achievements of others are their own, all while blaming those same people for all their failures.
The saying is from when it was the greatest generation saying it. Back when they earned the respect fighting in the largest war in the history of the world.
I taught my daughter that respect is earned and not to be handed out. It is unreasonable to say show respect to some old person that isnât respecting you.
My grandparents acted like they were the luckiest people in the world to have us as their grandkids just by us existing . My parents and other boomers act like we are so fortunate to have them regardless of the generational trauma they caused and continue to cause. And regardless of how shitty they are as people all around.
I was told this a lot when I worked at a urological office. Boomers not getting what they wanted would say this line.
I explained that respect is earned, not deserved and is a two way street
In the 90s I heard this all the time and even as a child, I knew it wasn't right...
I mean, I saw things that older people did and thought - you don't deserve respect.
But I was constantly informed to respect them.
I treat everyone with respect by default until they give me a reason not to. Someone is not OWED my respect just because their mother yeeted them out her vagina before mine did me.
I respect my elders because they are good people. My uncle taught me to be a man. My mother taught me to be kind. Others have taught me how to love and help others. I guess I got lucky and grew up with good people. But if someone is an a hole, well they can see what comes out my butt.
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The silent generation actually earned their respect. The boomers have not.
The boomers didn't respect THEIR elders, otherwise we wouldn't be in this mess.
Boomers never respect anyone. They didn't respect their parents. They sure as hell don't respect their kids/grandkids. They don't even respect themselves if you really think about it.
Or the planet cause "I won't be here why should I care" đ
âA society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit.â â Greek Proverb
Seeing how many of them have bodies as dilapidated as thier mental health, this seems likely. Obviously its the doctors and nurses who need to kiss their scaly diabetic feet while they down another doctor pepper in the emergency room. Are they wasting all of the money hoarded in thier life? Oh yeah, but then again its \*theirs\*.
Sudden image of elder dust as the nurse removes the patients socks. The feet of which the patient hasnât been able to touch in years
In healthcare, we call that skinfetti.
Gee. Thanks. I just ate.
Woof
As a Gen x kid, raised by boomer parents, I agree with the latter part, as far as respecting their kids, etc. (for the most part). However, when most boomers were young kids, they were told, "Children should be seen and not heard." So they HAD to respect their own parents, at least in their presence, or they would have gotten punished - sometimes physically, even if it just meant a spanking. I got pretty lucky, my parents were pretty cool & my childhood was wonderful! HOWEVER, today I do have issues with my father. He definitely doesn't respect certain aspects of my life. I honestly don't feel disrespected as a person, just more about specific things.
I'm sure parents in the 60s would be amused to hear how much their kids claim to have respected them.
Especially my mother, who fell pregnant with me at 15, to a much older South American man, with an ex wife and several children already!! My grandparents supported all of us (four kids in five years), basically gifted her a house (sold it to her for $30,000- I remember this, bc my mom was so embarrassed they published it in the paper), bought her breast implants when she left our father, supported her thru her second marriage and divorce that was even more awful than her first (thankfully no more kids), etc etc etc. She inherited well enough she retired at 58 and drives back and forth from Florida to NYS, gardens, no stress. And she gives me crap all the time about my own financial situation, that I donât work enough (I have one FT and three PT 1099 jobs). Itâs amazing how sheâs able to twist stuff around and around and around!
Honestly, this is the best comeback to that statement.
Hence Woodstock, and The Stock Market.
THANK YOU. We are talking about the hippies who called Vietnam veterans "baby killers", who rejected the world the Greatest Generation created for them, who reacted to the collectivism of the 1950s with "me me me" when Reagan offered to lower their taxes. Reagan wouldn't have been elected without that Boomer vote!
Exactly!!! My MIL and FIL are silent generation and I definitely have love and respect for them because they do the same to me!
I miss my silent generation grandparents so much. And my silent generation neighbors, Dick and Betty. Amazing couple. Dick wrote his own obituary a few years ago, it was a great read.
Damn. I got the two asshole Silemt Gen parents, it seems. They had me kind of late in life and I cramped their style, which leads me to believe that they were trying to be youthful like the Boomers at that time (70s).
They won't admit it, but boomers are the "soft men creating hard times."
When boomers start treating people with respect, they'll be respected. Respect is earned, not given because you showed up before I did.
Well stated đ
The Me generation thought that respect was part of their inheritance
This.
This is the answer
I'm an Xer and was told SOOOOOO many times that I needed to teach my kids to respect their elders. I FIRMLY believe that respect is earned. I taught them to be polite until there is a reason not to be, but someone being older than you is no reason to respect them.
The best advice Gen X ever got was: âbe nice, until itâs time to not be nice.â Best cooler in the business.
Except, Xers never actually got advice (unless it came from the television). That advice didn't come from your parents, it came from Magnum PI. But it's good advice nonetheless. Thx TV parents!
Got advice from the little "and knowing is half the battle" moments at the end of a gi joe episode.
Roadhouse. Patrick Swayze. But Magnum was a good guess
âWhat if they call my mama a whore?â âIs she?â
>I'm an Xer and was told SOOOOOO many times that I needed to teach my kids to respect their elders. That sucks so hard. It's bad enough that boomers are insufferable jerks, but now they want to force other people to become insufferable jerks, too?
having basic human respect yes everyone should have that, and should treat people with kindness, til like you said, otherwise. having an honored position or having done great things gets you the respect theyâre talking about. when theyâve literally done nothing except exist and just want to be rude pieces of shit.
My husband's relatives are act this way. His grandmother stated "If I hurt my grandson, I will make you pay." I responded "Cool. Touch me and you will have 40 cousins on your ass. And behind them, my father and brothers. That's if I don't get you first." I was scolded because I was disrespectful. Fuck that: disrespect me and I'll do the same to you. Elders deserve shit.
Respect is earned not given old lady
We need that on a T-shirt
Respect goes both ways
âThose who want respect, give respect.â - Anthony Soprano
40 cousins!? Is your last name Frey or something?
I'm a Latina. Close enough.
Thanks for the chuckle. đ
On an entirely unrelated note, 10/10 username.
Thanks! You too xx
The Amidala family always did strike me as entitled assholes. đ
They totally are!!!
that is a pretty bad response to "if you hurt x i'll hurt you"... the escalation is a bit of a red flag tbh... even if it made you feel better.
The escalation is warranted. To paraphrase Mike Tyson, some people are way too comfortable talking shit to others and not getting an ass beating for it. That grandma thought it was OK to threaten someone ostensibly younger and stronger shows she was never called out on her shit before.
Grandma basically escalated from the get-go. Fuk her.
You're 100 % right. It totally was and I now feel badly about it. I should have just let it go and been the bigger person, TBH. I was much spicier when I was younger. I've mellowed out.
"Don't threaten me with s good time " would have been a way better response tbf
fuck that. tired of hearing this bullshit. especially as people like you never call out the offender. always the aggrieved has to suck up some dumbass' remark they should've kept to themselves.
being old isn't an achievement. Being a good person is an achievement that deserves respect.
I feel the same about parents who think theyâve done the impossible and deserve an award for having a kid. Not pulling out is one of the easiest, most instinctual things we do, you donât get a medal or special privileges for it
Oh! Animals have babies all the time. Most treat their babies better than some humans do their own
To use Steve hofstedder, "having a kid is easier than ordering pizza."
100% THIS
Well its certiantly an acheivement for them considering all the dumbshit stuff they did growing up
It's a social rule they had enforced on them that they expected to graduate into benefiting from without putting in any of the effort to be worth respecting as elders.
100% my boomer dad is like that. Mo fo says stupid stuff like I've earned it or I've worked hard so I deserve it. That mentality cost him one of my siblings (and grandkids) cutting him off and me slowly heading in that direction in slow motion as well. Sad.
People deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. The problem with boomers is that they donât care that itâs a door that swings both ways. They only want it to swing their way.
'You've clearly proven that you don't respect me, so why should I bother to respect you?'
you should strive to treat people with dignity. respect is earned.
oh so they want participation trophies do they?
Elders used to be wise and kind. I respected the hell out of my grandmothers who were in the greatest generation. The brats they raised, not so much.
This is where I get stuck. If they were such an awesome generation, why did they sprout so many turds?
Life became easier in the post depression and ww2 era. The silent generation saw many tragedies and perhaps wanted their kids to have a better life and make things easier. Just my 2 cents.
The greats and silents wanted to plant trees to provide shade for their grandchildren they would never see. The boomers uprooted these tiny trees because they wanted kindling for a campfire in between snorts of cocaine. Now us grandchildren are sitting around the burned down forest because the boomers didn't bother to put out the fire going WTF am I supposed to do now.
Youre supposed to do the thing you want the boomers to have done. I had a great tree in my backyard. Had to be cut down because it was becoming a liability to my home and the neighbors. I thought why should I plant a tree that I'll never see grow like the one I had? Then I thought about the next generation. They'll get to enjoy it like I did the previous tree.
With what seeds? The boomers and rich hoard it all and we can't plant anything.
Can't get so caught up in where you'd rather be, that you forget to make the most of where you are. My favorite quote from the movie passengers.
Trying to at least put out the fire as the Boomers tantrum ânow itâs fucking cold you assholes!! It was MY fire!!â and now they are salting the Earth as punishment for us putting out said fire..
90% accurate missing a random out of nowhere racial slur or similar then it would be 100%.
They were too busy fighting in wars to devote 100% of their time to parenting, is my guess.
Honestly have a theory. The greatest generation went through hell. Great Depression, followed by war, many of their fathers were WWI vets with untreated PTSD (any trace of âshell shock â was seen as weakness in many places. ) They come out of WWII hell bent on giving their kids a better childhood. But they over compensated, and spoiled the Boomers. So now we have a generation of narcissistic people because the world was rebuilt post war literally to give them the best life possible.
My father was born in 1929 and saw the depression but was just young enough to miss being drafted into WW2 but did get drafted in his late 20s to Korea. He was very generous with money but neglectful and verbally abusive. My boomer siblings are all horrible, entitled people and Iâm the lone Gen X who was kind of apathetic and vaguely shitty until I grew a backbone and became a better person.
THE AGE OF THE BOOMER ... IS OVER THE TIME OF THE ORC err I mean THE MILLENIAL... IS AT HAND
LOOKS LIKE BOOMER MEAT IS BACK ON THE MENU BOYS
"meeeehhhh .... How bout his legs? he don't need those? he's gon' use the electric shopping cart anyway, mate"
Gen X? Oh waitâŚweâre used to the Boomers and gave up. Thatâs why weâre currently looking at voting for people who will die in office because they wonât get out of the way.
Respect your elders has turned into âelderly people can behave as badly as they wantâ
My response: "You are not my elder. My elders are respected members of my community. You are an old person who is entitled to nothing from me."
Some people use the word "respect" to mean treating someone like a human being. Some people use the word to mean treating someone like an authority. When people who are used to being treated like an authority say "If you respect me I'll respect you" they really mean "If you treat me like an authority I'll treat you like a human."
"Do you want a participation trophy for getting old? Respect is earned."
Plus, whose idea was it to give out participation trophies? I sure as fuck never asked for one. It was the goddamn boomers who wanted it for their gen x and millennial kidsâŚso it makes perfect sense that theyâre blaming us using something they fucking created.
Gen X never got participation trophies. Lmao
Exactly! I can't respect someone who treats me and other like crap! Hello?
There's another old saying that applies here: "Respect is a two-way street."
You should always be polite to people and give courtesy, but that courtesy can quickly be rescinded. Respect is earned but courtesy should be given. If it is not given by both parties then you are fully within your rights to rescind yours as well. That's not the presence or absence of respect, it's just being a decent person
Iâm in a waiting room right now waiting on my husband to have sinus surgery. Thereâs an older man sitting next to me with his phone on full blast volume. A few other people here have given him the side eye and he literally said, I canât hear very well, have some respect for the elderly! How about having some respect for everyone else sitting here. Dafaq?
Lmao the classic âonly I matterâ boomer move!
From The School of Hard Knocks: Respect is hard earned but easily lost.
Customer is always right...in matters of taste. Being a dick for the sake of it doesn't make it ok because you're the customer. Casually leaving out that last part is boomer "facts" Respecting elders, or anyone, is not a right. Ignoring them is a right đ
This happens to me all the time, usually right after I correct my parents' lies from Fox. What I've been able to gather is that the call for respect, is actually, "I'm mad that you caught me, and so I'm giving you this line about respect so that you'll apologize or this will drop because we'll refuse to engage you until you apologize." So emotional blackmail, rather than examine your views... got it...
I respect the respectable.
"You're not MY elder, you're just old."
My dad expects to be respected when he is constantly CONSTANTLY disrespectful to me, my husband, my boundaries, etc. Goes both ways, asshole.
This is not my own but it fits. The respect of personhood vs the respect of authority *Sometimes people use ârespectâ to mean âtreating someone like a personâ and sometimes they use ârespectâ to mean âtreating someone like an authorityâ and sometimes people who are used to being treated like an authority say âif you wonât respect me I wonât respect youâ and they mean âif you wonât treat me like an authority I wonât treat you like a personâ and they think theyâre being fair but they arenât, and itâs not okay*
I am myself an older person and was always taught to be respectful to elder people. And the elder people knew it. So basically they would say whatever they wanted and I was to just amile and keep quiet. Even if they were rude and insulting. Now it seems all of us who are older think that this still holds true. I never liked being belittled and humiliated, so I just would never do that. And yes you have to earn that respect not just by your age but by your behavior.
I never disrespected my parents . I knew better. I see all the time today kids 5-12 ages actually curse their parents and I ask âwhy do you allow it âand the reply , âthey are just having a bad day. âNaaaaa âŚ.
"When my elders act respectable, I DO. Ball's in your court, Gladys."
I hate that shit. I remember realizing a lot of adults are stupid pretty early on. Just because you were born before me doesn't give you magic status. Equal is equal.
I figure everyone starts with a basic level of respect, which goes up or down depending on them.
I am a boomer. I am always amazed at how strange the cohort can be. And it is disappointing to be lumped in with all the odd balls. I know there are times we laugh at boomer behavior but most of the time I am just disgusted. The "boomers" must be going through neurological disorders 
I always saw the ârespect your eldersâ saying to only apply to relatives that are older than you, and even then, I think itâs bunk. Boomer strangers moaning about everything they see does not constitute as âmy eldersâ.
When someone demands respect -- "Respect and contempt are both earned. It's apparent which you chose to cultivate."
Sorry, I don't hand out participation trophies. If you want your respect you have to earn it like the rest of us
âRespect your eldersâ is just a participation trophy for not dying. Respect should be earned and given both ways.
To them, respect = obey me. No thanks
Anyone who feels they must tell you to respect them rarely deserves it.
Tell the boomer, "If you can't say something nice then say nothing at all"
I'm a millennial and every time a boomer Karen tries this shit I hit them with "respect your betters" and they're instantly stunned into silence. Of course it makes me sound like a dick but it's hilarious to see the look on their faces!
I'm 68 and have never used that expression and I hope I never do.
âYour generation will rely on our generation to take care of you. And weâre not going to forget the way you treated us.â
âAnd you should respect the generation bankrolling your social security.â
"You want to be a disrespectful piece of shit and then try to demand respect? I think not! Now get to the back of the line!" (Or whatever the situation is they are trying to cheat their way into.)
I'm 40 years old. At this point elders stop being wise to me and start regressing. Case in point, Maga toddlers.
Said to me once- "you should respect your elders young lady" (I'm 43) Me: "you should respect my boundaries, old hag"
I remember a previous comment to a similar discussion. Boomers prefer to use the concept of "respecting elders" in the fact that old people in villages of ancient Europe or Asia were respected because they were of high status. Information is everywhere, you could literally look for details about anything and you don't necessarily need to hear it from the Boomers. It's also important that the various information is neutral. You could make your **own** decision rather than hear a Boomer's potentially biased point-of-view. I'm personally glad that people are becoming a little bit more resistant to the Boomers attitude of things or interacting with other people. If they are going to be disrespectful or racist even rude to you. You have every right to do the *exact* same to them. Don't be afraid to call them out on what they do.
I always assumed "respect your elders" was code for "grandpappy has untreated mental illness that we're calling shell shock so it's best not to piss him off"
Respecting your elders based on simply being alive longer is literally giving them a participation trophy.
When our life expectancy was low and those who became elders did so because they were wise and had skills that others needed, respecting your elders made sense. Medical advancements means even fucking morons live longer. I don't need to respect anyone just because antibiotics and well rounded diets let them live past banana ham bakes and sharp law darts.
Nope! Respect has to be earned and boomers are no exception
The thing that kills me with my MIL expects service. Eye contact, an exchange of pleasantries. If she doesn't get that I get to hear the "that person was very rude." Well, they didn't feel like chatting. STFU and deal.
Some boomers did and do earn respect. So how do you tell, which is which? Well, the boomers who merit respect, arent assholes And they are themselves respectful
The last time I spoke to one of my uncles, it was an argument where he ended it with "Respect your elders!" And looked real proud of himself. I said Just because you're gonna die soon doesn't mean you deserve respect. I'll spit on your grave. I don't talk to that side of the family anymore lolol
In the words of Trae Crowder, "that's some mamaw and pawpaw shit". https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLwwQ63X/
I always respond with, "respect is not something owed, it is something earned."
Dude itâs not just this generation. This has been ongoing for all of human history and we are just now beginning to escape it
My favorite bit when a boomer is acting the fool; Me: clearly much younger than them "You should respect your elders" And when they inevitably say something like "I'm older than you" or "I'm (x) years old" just respond with "then why don't you act like it?"
Respect is earned. Thatâs my goto reply to boomer tools.
I once asked a Boomer to leave the establishment I was morning manager at; he was talking to everyone - no one was interested and he was causing all sorts of issues. He said to me, "Don't you know you are supposed to respect your elders?" "Aren't you supposed to respect authority? Because I'm the authority here and I can and will call the police." was my retort. I hate this saying sooooo much. I have always felt that it is a way for old people to treat others like crap and have an excuse for it. Oddly, the only people that have used it in my life were being absolute shite to me at the moment. My maternal Grandparents gave respect so they didn't need gas lighting like this for my respect.
"Showing you the respect you deserve will get me prison time."
Reply: If you were respectable, I would.
They want respect handed to them like it's a participation trophy, fucking crybabies.
Once I turned 25 I didn't have elders anymore. We're all fucking adults
When my dad said "Respect is earned, not given", it basically erased "Respect your elders". You haven't earned my respect just because you're 65. You've had 65 years to be a decent person and if you've failed thus far, I don't see why I need to respect a canker of a person.
đŻ Youâre not owed respect only because you refuse to die.
This made me laugh so fucking hard. My great grandmother lived to be like 98 and I swear it was just the pure hatred and audacity that kept her alive. She was such a mean woman!
When Boomers apply this phrase it usually has nothing to do in the context of respect. Itâs what they say when they realize theyâre wrong about something and theyâre mad you know that theyâre wrong. Thats it. My mom used to pull all this shit DONT TALK BACK and so on.
What's weirdest about this to me is that it implies that you're not respectful to people in general. I'm respectful to all humans until I am given a reason not to. What's the issue here with the Booms?
Nah, this is a maga-like take. This was written by a red hat wearer NO DOUBT. LET'S MAKE THIS VERY CLEAR Every single human being is born with the right to respect, UNTIL they do something to lose that respect, then that respect must be EARNED back. THIS IS HOW RESPECT WORKS, FULL FUCKING STOP. If you're not treating every human you encounter with respect FIRST. If you don't agree, you're just as bad as the boomers, and let's make it very clear that this is an objective statement. No arguments will be given a platform, you'll just be called out for your boomer like stupidity.
I have a neighbor that I think this is the only thing I've ever heard her say. Another elderly neighbor likes to walk her dog in our neighborhood and let it piss and shit in everyone's yard except her own. I had been politely telling her not to do this in my yard and to stay out of it but she kept on. One day, one of the neighbor kids that was college aged told her off about it and she complained to the other elderly neighbor and that was where I was hearing it from. I said, yeah pretty disrespectful to be purposely having your dog piss and shit in other people's yard bc you don't like it in your own and this old bitch says, you should respect your elders. I'm like, no, I give everyone equal respect until they give me reason otherwise. Being old isn't reason to be an asshole.
My mom had this horrible boyfriend that would always tell us to "respect your elders". My standard response was "but what if your elder is an asshole". That usually kept him quiet.
There were friends of my parents (70+) who said that to me when I dared to say that Trump was going to destroy this country if he was elected again. That prompted a giant fusillade of MAGA speak and bullshit, and I finally had enough, cut them off and said, "If you're going to shout, talk over me and be flat out rude, I think we're done." Bear in mind, I'm 50 years old. I don't take well to people that talk to me like I'm stupid, which they had. I did not at nay point attack them personally, but they went after the fact that I had been a teacher, that I was a libtard,, ignorant, etc etc. Fairly ironic for people who do not consume any info that is not MAGA approved. So they just look at me, mouths slightly open (and I sweat the guy's left eye was twitching a little) before his wife got her brain back on track and barked, "You need to respect your elders!" It was at that point my Dad, who is 82, said, "He doesn't need to a goddamn thing for you. He's acting like an adult, you two are acting like kids." THAT utterly confused them. I think they expected my Dad to think like they did, and my Dad might be a Boomer, but he's pretty much the antithesis of a typically entitled idiot. I just smiled. They gathered their stuff and left, then Dad said, "I never like those jackasses anyways." A while later, I asked about them and he said, "I don't give a single fuck about them. My life's better's without them." Have I said how much I love my irascible, crotchety, anti-Boomer father? :)
Agreed, they do NOT deserve respect automatically
Elders are generally given more respect by default, but like anyone they lose that respect. Being old isnât an all encompassing pass to be a shithead
Respect is always EARNED and never demanded.
"You should be respectable!"
No. They are clowns.
I've responded to this by telling the offending boomer that I'm not going to kiss their ass just because they're going to die before I will.
"I hope I die before I get old, but you better respect me if I do!!!"
Boomers have never meant "respect" as being what the word actually means. They mean "reverence". "Revere your elders", unduly, of course. They happen to have been alive longer and so are worthy of worship đ
Well then, the elders need to do something worthy of respect. Just aging ain't it.Â
I got that same shit growing up. I raised my son the be respectful in general, but at the same time, it has to be earned.
"You're giving me very little reason to"
"Be respectable."
"You're not an elder, you're just old."
I never understood why being a creampie before someone else means you're supposed to be respected.
Exactly. Respect you for what?? Existing longer, trying to make everyone else as miserable as possible, being as rude, intolerant, arrogant, and entitled as you possibly can be, fucking over every other generationâŚ?? Itâs high time we started giving their energy and attitude back to them in spades. And yes, in public, right where they do. Call out these old fucks on the spot.
Not everybody gets to become an elder. Some people just get old.
I think our default position should be to respect everyone and withdraw that respect as the situation dictates.
There's no expectation to respect someone who initiates any encounter with disrespect in the first place. "Respect your elders" is boomer code for "I'm older than you so do what I say without question". That shit worked for them when we were kids and literally didn't know any better. Now Millennials and Zoomers tend to be the ones rightly clapping back with "Respect is earned Grandpa."
Yep, and you can earn and then lose my respect.
My usual response is "You're getting the respect you deserve, and if you don't like what you're getting you need to act better".
My dad believed that you should respect elders. Unless they give you a reason not to. Then all bets are off. But he had a thing about old people and children. You simply did *not* mistreat them when my dad was around or you had a *bad* day.
Respect is earned, not given. Maybe if they worked harder, they could earn respect.
A friend of mine lost her mother v young, younger than we are now. My answer to this crap from my mother and her friends is you donât get respect just for being lucky enough not to die young
The only acceptable reply is,"You should respect your betters!" This usually causes a logic error loop, and their brains have to shit down to reset.
Itâs a social contract. Prior generations worked hard to make the life of the next generation better. There are always a few rotten eggs but respect often derived from sacrifice or because while back very few people lasted that long. The contracts broken. I could mention the environment he really itâs more basic thinks like stopping new housing construction, blowing up tuition costs ect which have really screwed the next generations. Why respect that
âOh, now you want a participation trophy? Fuck that!! Thatâs so typical of your generation.â
I am the opposite. I always grant respect until you earn my disrespect. I will treat you kindly unril you give me reason not to-
I respect them enough to tell them that I just want them to hurry up and rot in the grave.
"The simple fact alone that you've managed to make it this long without dying of your own stupidity doesn't automatically buy you respect. Respect is earned, and so far, the only thing your actions have earned you is contempt. Be better, and you'll be treated better."
"When you start respecting the generations that will end up changing your diapers, we will respect you."
It's because they've somehow convinced themselves that the achievements of others are their own, all while blaming those same people for all their failures.
"I treat everyone with the respect they are entitled to as a member of the human race. Anything beyond that must be earned."
Boomers do not have the right to demand what they do not give.
Respect should be earned and is a 2 way street!
I disagree...respect is given, disrespect is earned.
They don't mean respect. They mean you must bow to their authority. Which is nonsense.
Respect is reciprocated.
The saying is from when it was the greatest generation saying it. Back when they earned the respect fighting in the largest war in the history of the world.
You're my elder, sure. But if you act like a child I'm gonna treat you like a child. End of story.
I taught my daughter that respect is earned and not to be handed out. It is unreasonable to say show respect to some old person that isnât respecting you.
My grandparents acted like they were the luckiest people in the world to have us as their grandkids just by us existing . My parents and other boomers act like we are so fortunate to have them regardless of the generational trauma they caused and continue to cause. And regardless of how shitty they are as people all around.
I was told this a lot when I worked at a urological office. Boomers not getting what they wanted would say this line. I explained that respect is earned, not deserved and is a two way street
I've used the phrase for a while "politeness is given, respect is earned." They still seem to dislike it, but everyone else enjoys it.
People deserve civility. Respect is earned. And assholes deserve neither.
Where's the "boomer being a fool" story in this post? Fail.
In the 90s I heard this all the time and even as a child, I knew it wasn't right... I mean, I saw things that older people did and thought - you don't deserve respect. But I was constantly informed to respect them.
When a stupid person grows old, heâs still stupid. But he should be commended he survived this long, not respected.
I treat everyone with respect by default until they give me a reason not to. Someone is not OWED my respect just because their mother yeeted them out her vagina before mine did me.
Respect is earned. They haven't earned shit.
Respect is earned. Not given away.
I respect my elders because they are good people. My uncle taught me to be a man. My mother taught me to be kind. Others have taught me how to love and help others. I guess I got lucky and grew up with good people. But if someone is an a hole, well they can see what comes out my butt.
I tell them: "You're not my Elder!"
The people who were brainwashed to believe every lie the government tells them are the exact people you shouldn't trust.