I'm poor and a member of Gen-Y. Please tell me how useless I am again.

reply to post by AnIntellectualRedneck


So you are accepting the self fulfilling prophecy that has been ascribed to you. Why not fight back and prove people wrong, rather than capitulate.

OP, try not to let it all bring you down. I, myself, and many, many others are in the same sinking boat as you are. I am constantly called the whole laundry list of names and stereotypes..by everyone, even my own grandmother haha.

I am college educated with a lot of previous work experience (I've been working since I was 16). I also have impeccable work ethic. I accomplished more in one day than some of my co-workers cared to do all week. Now I'm looking for another job because my old one folded up and went bust. Surprise? I am totally willing to work underemployed, like I'm sure you and many others are. One poster told us to push ourselves harder to get a job! Ignore blanket statements given by people who are obviously not facing up to the reality of the situation. I'm sure people who say things like that are well taken care of (maybe, just maybe through their own hard work and effort).

In my town, I'm competing with about 30-40 people per position! This includes some of the part-time, low-wage positions. Yeah, I'm not really sure how much harder I can be pushed to come out on top of a situation like that..to say nothing of the other 39 people who still need a job.

I am also at the point where I decided that I'm not going to ever accept a handout, government or otherwise. Not even from my family. I just won't ever let anybody prove that I'm lazy, undisciplined, whatever-have-ya. If this is going to happen, it's going to happen by my own volition; not by handouts and welfare. Forgive me for my catastrophic thinking, but I'm seriously going to walk out into the mountains to die when I'm on my last penny. No, not to live off the land, because I'm a city boy who never learned the value of such "useless" things. This is not an issue of pride, this is an issue of protest and principle. I tried, I will keep on trying. But, the opportunity for me to take charge of my own life just doesn't exist right now. For any posters who are wanting to tell me or others to get up and move to a better city/ state for job opportunity..you should know that most of us don't have the resources for such a sojourn, however romantic and idealistic it would seem.

OP, never give up..not on life, not on yourself. But I think people like you and me need to realize that we ARE working tough in a game where the odds are in favor of the house and we're getting jackbooted for it. Ignore the people who will try to put us down. Keep on being honest and determined is all we (well, I wouldn't want to speak for you or anybody else)...all we can do. So keep on truckin' and stay positive. With the right attitude, we win no matter what happens. There is no shame in losing an unjust game with no rules.

I'm sure someone with a career would like to put down my post now.

reply to post by juleol


You're making irrational generalizations and then call me blind?

Sorry to tell you but people can be successful and still have their integrity intact.

its not immoral to want to succeed and be the best you can be...and its not immoral to driven by financial gain either, we're all driven by it in some way or another.

reply to post by Chadwickus

There are many CEO's and presidents that have got where they are with intelligence, honesty and all morals intact.

You know Chad, there may be "many". But I think there are many more that fit Monsatan's description. You don't become a CEO because you're a great guy. You become a CEO because you're willing to put the company before any and all. These types of people are usually picked because of their sociopathic tendencies.

On the other hand, I can see a CEO of a privately owned, or family operated company retaining his/her humanity to a much higher degree.

reply to post by AnIntellectualRedneck

OP. I'm in my 50's. This isn't an age or class problem. This is a societal problem. I have seen people file bankruptcy, and/or lose their homes to foreclosure in the past few years that were considered beyond such an event in their lives. These are hard-working, upstanding, and giving people who thought they were nearing retirement, and have had the rug jerked out from underneath them.

Don't let anyone dictate to you what and who you are, and what you are capable of. There are all types of people in every generation.

Let people think what they think, and be glad you aren't buying into their delusion about a whole generation of people.

reply to post by Klassified


Oh I do know, which is why I conceded and agreed with the vast majority...

reply to post by AnIntellectualRedneck


I'll try to keep this simple. If you had "money" you might have to pay some kind of "price" that given
who you are, you'd not wish to pay.
I do get food stamps and am 60. The whole dilema is in shades of gray..change the laws and some
may actually starve. Sounds good when read in the voting booth..new laws..but !!!!

My brother is in your boat, Hes in his early twenties, lost his job etc.

He took his pension and 401K (he was lucky enough to have a decent sales job)

Now hes buying a used RV cheap (with his remainder of his pension which he pulled out to survive) So that NO matter what he has a roof over his head, hes gonna park it at my place and just live in it.

There are ways to survive, you just have to know what you can let go.

Student loans they will come after you for, so any gov debt is pretty much a have to pay (unless your cool hiding)

I recommend looking up the Statue of Limitations on Debt in your state, once thats done you will know what you can get away with.

Than the key will be to avoid any contact with the debtors.

In CA its 4 years with out a court order and they can't touch you, if at any point you agree you owe that debt they can renew the 4 year time frame, so avoidance is key.

But you seem to have internet, and I am sure maybe even a cell phone, the key is going to be remembering BARE essentials, things YOU need to survive.

Good luck.

Just thought of this.

I have a friend who is living with me because he simply had no where else to go, I have also taken in my younger brother, as well as my Father, and My aunt...

All because of this economic crisis, all have lost jobs and housing (some recovery...) and heres a secret I have learned.

Communal living is key, I try to help who I can when I can, and it has worked for me, the pooling of resources will help a great deal.

I am sure you will find many people in your age group in the same boat, perhaps the hippies had it right back in the 60s with the communes.

Regarding the "Y" generation. Your post summed it up pretty good. Only you control your destiny.
If you wear boots its time to start pulling up on those straps.
Good luck to you.

I feel you OP. I had similar problems when applying for a job. I even got told flat out in my face that they'd rather have a 40 year old than me, because "your generation is not suited for hard work"

It took me a lot of time and effort but I eventually got a job. Just keep at it OP, the baby boomers will be gone in about 25 years so you won't have to take their crap any longer.

wow i feel the same way but never actually wanted to put it down on the net cause some people will just bash US and make us feel more of a POS human

i resecpt you and what ever your gonna do....

we shall gather all the POOR AND USELESS people and ALL GO CAMPING AT ONE SPOT kinda like a OWS but more like POOR LIVINGS =]

have a good day sir and wish u luck on w.e u do

peace and love brother or sister

reply to post by AnIntellectualRedneck


Im poor! I only make 10.24 an hour and get .10 a year raise! Being poor does not make someone useless! Hold on and Fight! Please dont give up! Im at the point where I may have to move within walking distance to work and give up my car insurance and jeep, so I can pay rent and have food. I just dont make enough to make it on my own. I just dropped out of college this week so I could find a second job. I cant even think doing school work when I am worried about providing a home for me and my children.

OP these poster are right. Do not fall prey to others opinion of you. You need to do some soul searching and discover who you are. What makes you who you are and what ideas do you hold important. Do not be disheartened by those on the sidelines of your life. As far as your current situation? There is no shame in having food stamps. People must eat. Make no mistake we are in a economic depression. Those of who would have been in the bread lines in the 1930's are on food stamps now. Still this should not define you. When the system fails to recover and callapses, we will NEED people like you to rebuild. As for work, there is work out there, but maybe not in your area. Find jobs that society needs to function like construction, manufacturing, service sector, security, or healthcare. I may be off track; however, I hope not. To wrap up I have a quote from one of the greatest Presidents this nation has ever known. It has inspired me hopfuly it lights a spark in you.

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
- Theodore Roosevelt April 23, 1910 "Man in the Arena"

For you folks who worry about what others think of you.... Let me relate something my mother once told me.

She said, people will believe anything about you they want, especially if it's bad, So why worry what others think when they are wrong. Believe in yourself. Then others don't matter.

Since she spoke those words to me I've never cared what others think of ,or about me. I do what I think is best and don't care what anyone else thinks about what I do. So why do you let some one elses opinion bother you?

You know who and what you are. You can overcome anything you really want to with some effort and perserveriance.

Never let anyone tell you that you can't. Just know who you are in your heart, then nobody can stop you.

welcome to the human race. it's nobobys job to make you feel good about youself, other than you. Choose your path and walk it. Find pride and confidence in youself and nothing anyone says will deter you from the happiness and place in this world you seek.
In this life i've found it a given some will like you, other wont and the rest just dont care. You are not any more special than me or anyone else. Accept that and move on.

This genY handle you so eagerly adopted is BS. and you've fallen for it hook line and sinker

Buck up buckaroo! Go camping if it makes yourself happy.

Climb a tree and play a flute, sell apples to tourists or start a cult. Your only a limited as the limits you accept.
Now isnt it time you got packing for the woods?

Originally posted by AnIntellectualRedneck

I'm just going to give up and go camping in the Ozarks or something. I'm a useless drain on society because I'm poor, right? I'm nothing but a good for nothing little narcissist because I'm member of Gen Y, right?


I've finally decided that I'm going to finally take my useless, thieving, drain on society label and embrace it. Congrats, old folks, one less stupid kid to worry about in your glorious society

You've created a society where I can't take responsibility for myself.

So I'm simply going to drop everything and refuse to try.

Yup! Summed up the attitude of Gen 'Y' quite nicely.

I can't get what I want RIGHT NOW so I give up.

No sense patiently building and working towards your goals over years of trying.


ETA; I DO know many industrious, motivated, and very hard working Gen Y's out there. Most of them are quite hard working. Most of them are in the Trades though.

It's the ones that went to University who never had a physically demanding job, worked part-time (maybe) and took schooling in a field that there is little demand in the real world for, or too much competition for.

I myself have was very close to two University degrees in History and education.
Do you think I'm doing anything with this education?

I figured out before it was too late, that there are no real jobs out there for History graduates.

Also the ratio of History teacher graduates to job openings was abysmal. Like 60-1.

I didn't like those odds.

Had the awareness to cut my losses, drop out, and pursue avenues that were monetarily rewarding.

This is what the big Educational establishments do not tell you prior to enrolling though.

Sure they're happy to take your money for education in non-existant fields, without telling you the REALITY of LIFE.

There's smarts.... then there's street smarts. You just have to adapt. If not, have fun in the mountains.

I love how those boomers just dismiss others because they're not in control of mostly uncontrollable circumstances. I'm a gen-Y as well. I literally work 4-8 hours a week at this point (by circumstance, not by choice). I'm constantly asking for more work and constantly searching for other jobs (even the hard labor, low-paying jobs boomers think we're so afraid of. Imagine that!). The fact is, I have a better chance of winning a crooked lottery than competing with 30-40 other people for a part-time entry level job. Okay, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration. Maybe my state/city is bearing the worst and it's better in other parts of the US. I sincerely hope this is so.

I can't speak for everybody in my age group, but I'm ceaselessly looking for work..anything. Nothing is beneath me. I work hard. I get dirty and sweaty and enjoy a job well done. I have the job experience too. I just want to be able to support myself without falling into debt.

Are you still going to tell me this is the wrong attitude? Can you honestly call this laziness and a spoiled sense of entitlement? In all fairness, I know a lot of people in my age set who are completely unreliable and are totally irresponsible. Some people just can't be bothered to work. Most of these kind of people were my supervisors haha. But, that does not define this generation.

I can't speak for the OP, but I think a lot of us are just desperate to find a niche in society. Can you really call this laziness and naivete? Why do so many people fail to anticipate that some of us ARE hard workers ready to take whatever is offered to us.

Hire me. I work hard. What's missing in this equation? Oh yeah, someone who will actually put me to work.

Edit: I'm done posting on these topis/subjects. Be it far from me to beat a dead horse.

reply to post by AnIntellectualRedneck


Welcome to being in your 20's. Sux eh?

As for the federal taxes, none of us should be required to pay them. Income tax is an abomination which keeps you down. It was never intended to exist. Once you do make enough money to be taxed the taxes ensure that you don't actually make any more money. Funny that.

Anyhow, enjoy your 20's. It is all down-hill from there.

Here's the difference between you and me, kid: There are two kinds of people. Those that make things happen and those who complain about what's happening. I'm in the first group. You talk like you are in the second group.

When I was your age I had two jobs so I could pay the bills. Both jobs were part time. I wanted to cut out the second job and getmore hours at the first job. I did that by spending my free time hanging around the first job site. When thry needed somebody fast bam i was there.

Learn to hustle. Learn to solve problems. If you do both of theose you'll never lack for work.

reply to post by Chadwickus


its easy to be moral when you have other people do your dirty work.