# 36 year old; Have I lived in 'interesting times'? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 27, 2016, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/36-year-old-have-i-lived-in-interesting-times/773114 "2016-11-27T00:27:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/36-year-old-have-i-lived-in-interesting-times/773114/21 "2016-11-28T04:15:57Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > I’m pretty sure that you haven’t, in comparison to what’s coming up shortly. We’re probably headed for WWII levels of “interesting”, or worse. I’m sure you’re right that something bad is bound to happen. …Just curious if you have a specific scenario in mind, (by saying “shortly”?) Interesting can be good things as well… ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/36-year-old-have-i-lived-in-interesting-times/773114/22 "2016-11-28T04:33:33Z")
> [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > I’m sure you’re right that something bad is bound to happen. > > …Just curious if you have a specific scenario in mind, (by saying “shortly”?) The inevitable string of chaos and disasters that will be caused by Trump and the Republicans taking power. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/36-year-old-have-i-lived-in-interesting-times/773114/23 "2016-11-28T04:37:24Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > The inevitable string of chaos and disasters that will be caused by Trump and the Republicans taking power. Ah! ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/36-year-old-have-i-lived-in-interesting-times/773114/24 "2016-11-28T10:06:30Z")
Have you lived in 'interesting times? Not yet. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/36-year-old-have-i-lived-in-interesting-times/773114/25 "2016-11-28T13:11:09Z")
Lots of times seem interesting. What makes any one time more interesting than another? Huge wars? Blissfully few of those going on at the moment. No big ones at any rate. Lots of changes in technology? Check. Widespread social changes? Maybe, but it depends on how broadly one defines change. Threats to the planet? The earth has experienced several massive die-offs where lots of species went kaput. I understand we’re in the midst of one right now, largely of our own making. So from that standpoint, I guess we do live in some very interesting times. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/36-year-old-have-i-lived-in-interesting-times/773114/26 "2016-11-28T13:58:43Z")
> [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > I’m sure you’re right that something bad is bound to happen. The News Media feeds on the fact that everyone gets up in the morning and checks to see if this is the day that something bad happens. And then checks back again at 6 and 11. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/36-year-old-have-i-lived-in-interesting-times/773114/27 "2016-11-28T14:18:06Z")
Let’s see: if you were born ~1980, you’ve seen the collapse of Communism (fall of the Berlin Wall and collapse of the Warsaw Pact, 1989; dissolution of the USSR, 1991), the digital revolution, the 9/11/2001 attacks and subsequent wars, the near-collapse of our economy in 2008, the selection that same year of [a black man for America’s worst job](http://www.theonion.com/article/black-man-given-nations-worst-job-6439), and of course Trump. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/36-year-old-have-i-lived-in-interesting-times/773114/28 "2016-11-28T14:38:54Z")
Yes, solely because you live in an industrial society that longs for change. Had you been born, say, 600 years ago as a French peasant, then, no - your times will be quite boring. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2016, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/36-year-old-have-i-lived-in-interesting-times/773114/29 "2016-11-28T15:29:19Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > I’m pretty sure that you haven’t, in comparison to what’s coming up shortly. We’re probably headed for WWII levels of “interesting”, or worse. Just “or”? You’re becoming optimistic in your old age, _amigo_. 🙂 Anyone who thinks the country is being torn apart now did not live though the 60s. Short of the Civil War, that was one of the most contentious times we’ve had. Civil Rights, The Sexual Revolution, The Vietnam War, and a few other biggies rolled in there made for “interesting times”. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2016, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/36-year-old-have-i-lived-in-interesting-times/773114/30 "2016-11-29T00:46:47Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Had you been born, say, 600 years ago as a French peasant, then, no - your times will be quite boring. Apart from the Hundred Years’ War, you mean. Plus the advent of the Black Death. Plus the Franco-Burgundian conflicts. No, France was not a happy place 600 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2016, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/36-year-old-have-i-lived-in-interesting-times/773114/31 "2016-11-29T01:36:41Z")
I guess it all depends on what you find interesting. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/36-year-old-have-i-lived-in-interesting-times/773114.md?page=1)