If You Grew Up In The 1970s, You Likely Have These 11 Personality Traits That Are Exceedingly Rare Today
ms.nen / Shutterstock Known for their independence and maturity from a young age, Gen X is a collective of strong, hard-working adults today because of the way they grew up. While their parents made some choices that people in our modern world might find controversial, to say the least, they ended up becoming more mature, grounded, and regulated in adulthood.
From being a realist to operating independently in life, if you grew up in the 1970s, you likely have several personality traits that are exceedingly rare today. In a comfort- and convenience-chasing culture, your work ethic and independence are superpowers, even if they still feel like second nature.
If you grew up in the 1970s, you likely have these 11 personality traits that are exceedingly rare today
1. You’re a realist
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Growing up in a world where institutions and authority were challenged, you understood that structure wasn’t always perfect. You’re a realist at heart because you’ve seen both sides of the coin. You know that routines and structure can be beneficial, but don’t always offer trust immediately, to people and things.
Even when it comes to the nuclear family ideal, which was challenged and broken down starting in the ‘70s, Gen Xers are realists in their relationships and households today, because they understand that even the most celebrated, seemingly “ideal” structures aren’t always perfect.
2. You’re adaptable to your environment
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The ‘70s were largely a time of social transition, so adaptability was a trait many people had to learn. From shifting their own values and moral compass to adopting changing workplace expectations and career goals, if you grew up in the 1970s, you likely have a sense of adaptability that’s exceedingly rare today.
Whether it’s navigating constantly changing social norms, as you did growing up, or leaning on your individuality amid times of uncertainty, this kind of adaptability is a superpower in a world that prioritizes comfort, convenience, and conformity.
3. You’re quietly independent
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Gen Xers, who largely grew up in the 1970s, are known as the “Latchkey Generation” for a reason. With two working parents who often left them home after school on their own and expected them to engage in unsupervised play without complaint, they were forced into maturity and independence, not by choice, but out of obligation.
Whether it was cooking for themselves, babysitting younger siblings, or solving problems themselves without a parent at home, they were quietly independent. Their needs were often met by parents, but when it came to forming identity, managing their emotions, and planning for their futures, they were on their own.
4. You’re secure in yourself
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Surrounded by loud personalities and changing styles in the ‘70s, there’s a chance you’re rarely intimidated by eccentricity and creativity in others. Especially without the vacuum of social media sucking you into comparison at a young age, you’ve grown secure in yourself. You’re unchallenged by other people thriving and experimenting with their identity, because you know who you are in reality.
Part of the confidence that comes from kids who grew up in the ‘70s is watching their parents. Even if they weren’t offered constant praise, they could witness their parents’ accomplishments and success without a buffer. They saw their parents craft strong work ethics and resilience, and followed in their footsteps.
5. You’re not obsessed with performance and aesthetics
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Not everything in the ‘70s was exciting and “trendy.” Most of the time, it was practical. From home decor to workplace attire, many people never felt pressure to conform to a certain aesthetic for the sake of belonging. Compared to today, where social comparison thrives amid social media and digital access to everyone’s curated image, it’s no surprise that people are missing out on the benefits of individuality and comfort.
As a study published in the Current Psychology journal explains, social comparison, especially in the modern world, can be detrimental to health and psychological well-being. However, if you were raised in the ‘70s, you had a chance to form authenticity, inner security, and identity before cellphones completely challenged our individuality.
6. You prefer in-person contact over digital communication
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With a childhood defined by unsupervised play outside and a lack of screens to dull interactions, it’s no surprise that if you grew up in the ‘70s, you prefer in-person contact over digital communication. You formed most of your long-term relationships and friendships in-person first, without the distraction of a screen or the safety of anonymity online, and it’s followed you into adulthood.
It’s this social dynamic and these in-person priorities that enable Gen Xers to seize deep conversations and meaningful interactions that everyone yearns for. Especially in an age of chronic loneliness, largely sparked by social media and cell phones, it’s a superpower to appreciate interacting with others without a digital buffer.
7. You don’t equate self-worth with attention
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Without an overbearing parent looming over your shoulder growing up and the freedom to play unsupervised and manage your own boredom, there’s a chance you have the exceedingly rare trait of secure self-worth. You don’t need validation or attention from anyone, including your parents, to make choices and live your life, even if it’s rare amongst modern kids.
While overprotective, overbearing parents today tend to undermine self-esteem and independence in their growing children, as a study published in the Journal of Child and Family Studies argues, unsupervised kids from the ‘70s had the chance to develop self-worth without equating it with attention or praise from their parents.
8. You have a strong moral compass
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In an age when social norms and expectations shifted and social dynamics quickly changed, people who grew up in the 1970s had to root themselves in a moral compass. Whether it was formed by their own experiences into young adulthood, religion, their parents and household beliefs, or friends, they needed a “home base” amid all the change to influence their decisions and choices.
Especially at that time, when authority and institutional structures were also being challenged, you had to set and live by standards for yourself that came from within.
9. You don’t need constant stimulation
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People who grew up in the 1970s didn’t have parents constantly following them around, influencing their plans, or connecting praise with self-esteem through rewards. Instead, they were left to craft their identities, friendships, routines, and well-being on their own terms, which is why they’re less likely to need constant validation today.
They are comfortable with alone time now because, without screens to keep them constantly stimulated and entertained at home as kids, they had to manage their own time. They had to solve their own boredom without a parent stepping in. That’s why they’re self-assured today. They were offered independence, not as a choice, but as a requirement to live.
10. You’re frugal and cautious with spending
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From thrift-store shopping to cash budgeting without credit cards, the “fixing before replacing” mentality, and a general sense of financial security at home, people who grew up in the 1970s were more exposed to frugality and open conversations about money than their parents were at the same age. While it was still somewhat taboo to speak about money, most people could survive on a single income, and it was less pressing to overcome the stigma surrounding socially transparent financial discussions.
If you grew up in the 1970s, you likely have this frugal personality trait. While a quarter of Americans today spend more than they make and take on debt for unnecessary expenses, Gen X adults are intentional about living by their frugal roots.
You’re not fearful around money, but you’re also frugal. You’re not easily swayed into buying community through trends or chasing belonging by overspending.
11. You’re observant
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As a kid in the 1970s, in public spaces and around adult conversations without any kind of “filter,” you were thrust into socially observant behavior. Today, you don’t feel the need to be the center of attention or seek validation from others to feel secure, because you spent your impressionable years soaking up information and presence from others. You can benefit from all the beauty of being quiet, while still noticing other people’s energy and actively listening to what they’re saying.
Of course, in many ways, these observational skills are directly related to creativity, according to a study from the University of Amsterdam. While kids today may be less creative for a number of reasons, Gen Xers in the ‘70s cultivated this rare personality trait that’s continued to stick around today.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
