Seven strengths among people in their and 50s and 60s stemming from their childhood and the environment in which they were raised.

Psychology

If you grew up during the 1960s and 1970s, psychologists say you have these common traits that are disappearing

Marta Tejedor Calum Roche

Update: Dec 17th, 2025 18:56 EST

Barely half a century has passed, yet the gap between the lives of those born in the 1970s and 1980s and Generation Alpha is vast. Only a few decades have gone by, but that has been enough to open a clear generational divide. Children born in recent years are growing up in a world shaped by technology and artificial intelligence – something unimaginable for people who are now in their 50s or 60s.

These differences do not only define childhood; they also shape how people behave later in life. According to the US-based psychology center Cottonwood Psychology, those born in the 1960s and 1970s developed a set of mental skills that are becoming increasingly rare today.

Although people born between 2010 and 2025 are still many years away from reaching the stage of life occupied by those from the 1960s and 1970s, psychology suggests that the simpler yet more demanding lifestyle of half a century ago worked in favor of those generations. The absence of screens and the need to take on responsibilities at an early age played a key role in developing patience, autonomy, and tolerance for frustration – skills that are now in short supply.

Seven shared traits of the 50s / 60s generation

1. Patience

Psychologists explain that a slower pace of life forced this generation to wait, helping them make decisions more calmly and maintain greater peace of mind.

If you grew up during the 1960s and 1970s, psychologists say you have these common traits that are disappearing

2. Tolerance for frustration

The strict parenting styles many experienced taught them that failure is a natural part of life.

3. Emotional regulation

Emotions were often pushed into the background in those environments, forcing many to learn how to control their feelings on their own.

4. Contentment with what one has

Rewards and gifts were far less common than they are today, encouraging satisfaction with limited possessions.

5.Tolerance for discomfort

In an era when everything now moves at breakneck speed, waiting times have shrunk dramatically. Being forced to wait helped earlier generations develop emotional flexibility and long-term resilience.

6. Greater ability to concentrate

Reading books, writing letters, or listening to music on records stand in stark contrast to the instant nature of screens today. These activities helped foster sustained attention.

7. Direct conflict management

Without cellphones, face-to-face dialogue was unavoidable, encouraging a better understanding of body language and more active listening.

All of these strengths are broad generalizations and may not apply to everyone born in one generation or another. Each person’s experiences are unique, and childhood always leaves its mark on the adult to come. The 1960s and 1970s were far from idyllic, and recognizing that the world has changed – and adapting to those changes – remains one of humanity’s enduring strengths.