American culture began the 1960s as a collectivistic culture (focused on social rules and group harmony) and ended it as an individualistic one (focused on the needs of the self and thus often rejecting traditional rules). Each subsequent decade continued the trend of more individualism. Thus, in the sibling-like squabble of the generations, Gen X’ers and Millennials are somewhat justified in pointing at the Boomers and bellowing, “But they started it!” (Two caveats bear repeating: Neither individualism nor collectivism is all good or all bad—each has its trade-offs—and these two cultural
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