The Common Sense Generation: 11 Things Boomers Do Way Better Than Anyone Else
Some generations are better at some particular things than others.
PH888 / Shutterstock Technological and social differences between generations make some generations more proficient at certain things than others, and despite the way so many people now talk about them as being difficult, there are several things that boomers, whom you could call the common sense generation, do way better than anyone else.
Baby boomers have an upper hand on a lot of skills primarily due to their life experiences. When they were young, they weren't able to rely as heavily on technology as younger generations have been, so they had to learn how to do things on their own. This means they were taught certain life skills that no longer seem as important in today’s society. Still, these skills make boomers way better at some things than anyone else is.
The common sense generation: 11 things boomers do way better than anyone else
1. Face-to-face communication
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Baby boomers tend to be much better at face-to-face communication than other generations. Due to social and technological changes from era to era, younger generations are less likely to choose in-person communication when they can just use technology for their communication.
Baby boomers grew up during a time when face-to-face interaction was the primary way of communicating. In a pre-digital world, they were able to build upon their communication skills and their preferences to more direct and professional communication.
2. Balancing a checkbook without an app
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Boomers are likely to be way better than anyone else at balancing a checkbook without an app. While growing up, relying on technology for help when it comes to their personal finances was not an option.
Not being able to rely on technology forced them to learn how to balance a checkbook manually and it is a skill they are more proficient at than younger generations who have a digital advantage. Due to this, boomers tend to have a high level of financial well-being, while millennials and younger generations have lower levels.
3. Navigating a paper map
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It is unlikely that most younger generations ever really have to navigate new areas using a paper map. However, for boomers, this was the only way to follow navigational directions and because of this they tend to be way better than everyone else at navigating a paper map.
Being able to navigate a map also makes boomers more likely to be better at cognitive mapping than generations who use a GPS to get themselves around and they are more confident in using a paper map. The interpretation of certain symbols while using a paper map helps boomers to remember how to navigate new areas without needing to rely on a GPS or map.
4. Writing in cursive
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Changes in technology and education have influenced the decline of cursive writing skills in younger generations. This being the case has made writing in cursive a skill that baby boomers do way better than anyone else.
As technology started advancing, education systems focused more on younger generations deepening their computer and technology skills rather than learning how to write in cursive. Baby boomers did not experience this decline, and it was a part of the curriculum that was taught to them in school, making them better at writing and reading in cursive than those who did experience the decline. However, this is a skill that will likely make a comeback as it still remains a prominent benefit for a person’s creativity and motor skills.
5. Driving cars with a manual transmission
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Manual transmissions used to be more prevalent than automatic transmissions in vehicles were. This being the case, most baby boomers tend to be much better at driving a stick shift than everyone else is.
While growing up, if this was the kind of vehicle most boomers were driving even when they were first learning to drive, it makes sense that it is something that is almost second nature to them. Younger generations are more accustomed to automatic vehicles, so in order to learn how to drive a stick shift, they would have to go out of their way to learn it.
6. Mending clothes
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Baby boomers were taught that even when their clothes had rips or tears, they were still mendable. They were taught how to mend their clothing by sewing and other sustainability methods, which is a big reason why most boomers are way better at mending clothes than everyone else.
Younger generations are usually very uneducated about the way to care for clothes that may no longer be in the best condition, but still have the ability to be repaired. This in combination with modern day fast fashion that makes replacing clothing not as expensive as it once was, influences younger generations to overlook developing practical mending skills.
7. Staying with a company for decades
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Baby boomers experienced a different economy than younger generations now experience. This shaped the way that they view job stability and loyalty. Due to this, most boomers are much better at staying with the same company for decades than other generations are.
Baby boomers may be more willing to pass up pursuing their dream career in order to achieve financial stability and provide for themselves and their families. Younger generations will quit jobs quickly if they feel like they are not contributing to the pursuit of their goals and dreams. Success for boomers was job stability, while younger generations view success as reaching their goals.
8. Being patient
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While being a patient person is different depending on the individual, some baby boomers tend to be way better at being patient than everyone else. Younger generations have access to things that can grant them immediate gratification.
Technology is a big reason for this. It causes them to have more of an expectation for things to move along quickly than boomers do, being that they grew up without the same technology. Not being constantly surrounded by technology that can give them immediate answers and gratification aids in their ability to be more patient than generations that came after them.
9. Saving for retirement
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Sometimes certain factors that different generations were able to experience throughout different points of their lives lead them to being more successful in some ways. Baby boomers were able to benefit from certain economic trends that may make them better at saving for retirement than everyone else.
Baby boomers reap the benefits of strong economic growth, an affordable housing market, and great equity markets. All of which will contribute to the amount of wealth they can accumulate for their retirement. Younger generations who have not had the opportunity to experience these things may struggle to save as much for their retirement, even as they are actively contributing money to their retirement.
10. Making decisions based on experience
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While age has a major impact on how much a person has been able to experience, which in return impacts their ability to make sound decisions, baby boomers do tend to be better at making decisions based on experience more than everyone else. Younger generations have more limited emotional regulation that makes it hard to make decisions based on past experiences.
Although this may be the case, it is something that comes with getting older, so someday younger generations will also be able to make these kinds of decisions. The more someone from a certain generation experiences, the more they are able to have a guide for how to handle other situations.
11. Professional phone etiquette
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Differences in communication throughout generations has made baby boomers way better at professional phone etiquette than everyone else. Growing up without texting or emails required boomers to either talk on the phone or face-to-face.
Younger generations have gotten so used to being able to communicate through texting that they rarely ever actually talk on the phone, making them less likely to practice professional phone etiquette like boomers do. Every generation has their own things that they are good at. It all depends on the experiences they have had while growing up and the society they grew up in.
Kamryn Idol is a writer with a bachelor's degree in media and journalism who covers lifestyle, relationship, family, and wellness topics.
