If you were born in the 1960s or 70s, you probably learned these 5 harsh lessons rarely taught today

Let’s start with the elephant in the room. I wasn’t born in the 60s or 70s.

I grew up in the 90s, with Game Boys, dial-up internet, and the kind of childhood that straddled both the analog and digital worlds.

But listening to my parents talk—and even older neighbors reminiscing—I’ve realized that people who came of age in those earlier decades learned lessons that today’s generation doesn’t get in the same way.

And honestly? I think there’s a lot of value in those lessons.

They weren’t always comfortable. They were often harsh. But they shaped people into resilient, grounded adults who didn’t expect life to bend around them.

Here are five of those lessons, and why I think they still matter.

1. Life isn’t fair—and no one’s coming to save you

It seems one of the first lessons people born in the 60s and 70s picked up was this: life isn’t fair.

Parents didn’t sugarcoat things, teachers didn’t hand out participation trophies, and bosses didn’t coddle employees.

If you failed, it was on you to figure it out. And that built resilience. Kids back then understood that failure wasn’t a dead end—it was part of the path.

Compare that to today, where there’s often a safety net at every corner. I’m not saying safety nets are bad—they’re necessary. But when you grow up always knowing someone will pick up the pieces, you don’t develop the same grit as someone who had to dust themselves off and keep moving.

I can remember in the 90s scraping my knees on the pavement and my parents saying, “Get up, you’re fine.” It wasn’t neglect; it was their way of saying, you’re stronger than you think. That mindset sticks with you.

2. Sometimes, you have to wait 

Back in the 60s and 70s, kids learned patience the hard way.

If you wanted to watch your favorite TV show, you had to wait until it aired. If you wanted new clothes, you had to save up. There was no Amazon Prime dropping things on your doorstep the next day.

And that skill—delayed gratification—is one of the strongest predictors of long-term success.

Remember the famous Stanford Marshmallow Test? The one where researchers found that children who resisted eating one marshmallow immediately and waited for two later ended up with higher SAT scores, less substance abuse, and better life outcomes overall.

Previous generations lived that test every single day. They understood that waiting builds character, and rewards are sweeter when earned.

Now, contrast that with today’s constant “instant everything.” Entertainment, food delivery, dating apps, you name it—if it’s not instant, we get restless.

I’ve talked about this before, but cultivating patience is one of the most underrated skills you can build. And it’s one our parents and grandparents mastered by necessity.

3. Attention is the greatest gift you can give

Something else that stands out about this period: people used to give each other their full attention.

When you were having a conversation in the 70s, no one was half-scrolling through TikTok at the same time.

Our parents and grandparents didn’t need to be told to look someone in the eye when they were speaking. It was natural. Being present was the norm.

Even when I think back to my childhood in the 90s, I remember long dinners at my grandparents’ house where the TV stayed off and everyone actually talked.

Compare that to now, where so many families eat together with a phone propped up at the table. Something important has been lost.

4. Hard work isn’t optional

If you grew up in those decades, you probably had chores, maybe even a part-time job as a teenager. Nobody told you “just focus on your studies and we’ll take care of the rest.” You were expected to pitch in.

It wasn’t about exploitation—it was about responsibility. Kids understood that effort was tied to outcomes. If you wanted spending money, you earned it. If you wanted trust, you proved you were dependable.

Today, I think some of that lesson has been softened. Kids still work hard, but the emphasis on effort isn’t always as strong. Grades, credentials, and connections often overshadow raw grind.

But the reality is, in life, hard work compounds. Whether you’re starting a business, building a career, or improving yourself, consistent effort matters far more than the flashes of brilliance.

I can still remember mowing lawns for neighbors in the 90s just to save up for a new video game. And while that game probably didn’t change my life, the lesson did: nothing feels better than buying something with money you earned.

5. Community matters more than convenience

This might be the biggest difference of all.

Back then, you knew your neighbors. Kids played outside until the streetlights came on. Adults borrowed sugar from next door. People showed up for each other—not because it was convenient, but because that’s just what you did.

Today, community often takes a back seat to convenience. We can order food instead of cooking with friends. We can send a text instead of visiting. We can spend hours online and still feel completely isolated.

And yet, every piece of research on happiness points back to the same truth: meaningful relationships are the single biggest predictor of life satisfaction. That’s something earlier generations lived, not just studied.

Final words

The 60s and 70s weren’t perfect decades—far from it.

But as far as I can see, the lessons people absorbed then have lasting value. They remind us that resilience, patience, presence, effort, and community aren’t old-fashioned ideas; they’re timeless ones.

And looking at the world today—with all our conveniences, distractions, and shortcuts—I think we’d do well to relearn some of them.