What does it mean to come of age during chaos—and how does that shape the generations who must lead us through it? In this thought-provoking episode of Rabbit Hole, Dave Nadig speaks with Neil Howe—author of The Fourth Turning Is Here—about the evolving role of Gen X in today's world, the generational dynamics underpinning societal shifts, and what history teaches us about crisis, community, and rebirth. This is not just a theory session—it’s a practical guide to understanding where we are in the cycle and what might come next.
Topics Covered:
Why generational transitions are slowing—and why that matters
The Gen X identity crisis: from latchkey kids to future elders
How community rises from conflict during fourth turnings
Millennials' collective investing mindset vs. Gen X contrarianism
The historical role of financial repression and inflation in crises
Parallels between Gen X and the Lost Generation
How institutions are built—and who builds them
Will the next societal reboot be state-driven or community-driven?
Global synchronization of generational crises and what that implies
What comes after the fourth turning—and how Gen X fits into it
Timestamps:
00:00 – Tax, borrow, inflate: the recurring pattern
01:05 – Introduction to Neil Howe and the fourth turning framework
02:00 – How the current crisis aligns with Howe’s generational predictions
05:06 – The delayed maturity of Gen X and leadership transitions
07:05 – The Gen X ethos and worldview
08:42 – Millennial collectivism vs. Gen X individualism
13:34 – Lessons from the Lost Generation
16:58 – Scenarios for the next 5–10 years
20:00 – The consolidation moment after crisis
24:06 – How individual risk aversion can lead to collective risk-taking
28:13 – Will the next turning reshape capitalism?
30:00 – Inflation as a crisis solution, not a problem
31:00 – Financial repression and investor implications
33:00 – Trump’s prescience and the structural path forward
36:00 – Global generational synchronization and crisis
39:20 – Repeating history when memory fades
41:00 – Is the next institutional structure necessarily state-based?
43:40 – Conflict as the incubator of community
47:04 – The Gen X mission: from outsiders to builders
51:06 – Why Gen X may lead the next institutional resurgence