u/13radley100

I think the image does a pretty good job of explaining it, but I'll try my best to summarize it.

The theory proposed by William Strauss and Neil Howe in their 1997 book, The Fourth Turning is about a specific pattern of Western history. The cycle continues because the conditions of one "age" shape the people coming of age in it, which leads to predictable outcomes. They seem to have a background in studying generations from a sociological perspective, so a lot of their claims are explained through this lens.

They claim 4 specific cycles take place within this bigger block that keeps on repeating.

• The first is a High, or a Golden age. It follows a major crisis and things are (generally) good, even though there was still segregation and sexist laws. This was in the mid 40s post WWII. America had an economic boom, and many of the countries devastated by war were rebuilt. American muscle cars. Rock and Roll. Going to the Moon. Highways were built, etc. We "all" believe in one great uniting myth about how the world should be. This age ends in the mid 60s with the assassination of JFK in the 60s.
  • The generation born/ coming of age during this time (Boomers) are considered the Prophet generation. They foresee and begin to built towards how good things can be in this era. Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, the masses of soon-to-be Civil Rights activists. But they also warn against how it can all come crashing down, i.e. the authors of the book this is all based on.
• The next age is The Awakening. Where the cracks in The myth start to show. This started in the 60s. Social consciousness rises about the things the initial myth didn't address, like racism via Civil Rights Movements, and a general disillusionment and calling out of the system's hypocrisies. The hippie movement, political activists dying left and right, war in Vietnam, etc. This era ends in the 80s with the election of Ronald Reagan
  • The generation born/ coming of age during this time (Gen X) are considered the Nomad generation. Practical, cynical, tough, "latchkey kids". Bit detached. They just kind of keep the machinery of the system moving along. Not as idealistic as other generations. Think Elon and Jeff Bezos.
• The third cycle is The Unraveling, and it starts in the 80s. The critiques and promises during the awakening kind of fizzle out. The cracks in The Myth continue to show. Gulf wars, the rise of Grunge and Hip Hop (not a value judgement, just saying they put cynicism upfront), sensationalized new w/ the OJ trials, the LA Riots, 9/11, Iraq and Afghanistan. The vibes are different, and it's reflected in the culture. From Smells Like Teen Spirit to American Idiot. This era ends around the 2008 financial crash. Then things get really crazy
  • The generation born/ coming of age during this time (Millennials) are considered the Hero generation. They came of age as things started to get pretty bad, but had the last taste of The Myth (The American Dream) before it truly crumbled. Funny enough, they're supposed to be the next Greatest Generation who is at the helm during the next cycle...
• The Crisis, which we're currently in, is where everything before looks nowhere near as bad. To put it scarily, humanity goes through the meat grinder. This one began around 2008 with the Great Recession, and we're still living in it. Extreme political polarization, extremist movements, global tensions peak. Then something so crazy happens that it resets The Myth people collectively believe in. Then it all starts over with another golden age.
  • The generation born/ coming of age during this time (Gen Z) are considered the Artist generation. Having grown up in completely messed up times, the first generation to have it worse than their parent's generation in this larger cycle, through COVID, and now another large war on the horizon. A lot of great artists come from this generation. Like the Silent Generation before us.

Haha, tried to be concise. I'd love to know what you all think of this? I'm making no claims; just presenting it to you all. I'd love to clarify any nitty-gritty to the best of my ability as well.