OK, Boomer! Unmasking Your Legacy of Lies
Eastern collectivist cultures, influenced by Confucianism, Buddhism, and later Marxist ideology, often emphasize the idea of a “perfect struggle”—a narrative where individuals endure hardship not as a messy, personal journey but as a morally idealized path toward enlightenment or societal harmony. This concept is deeply tied to the notion of “saving face,” where personal failings or struggles are reframed as noble sacrifices rather than acknowledged as human imperfections.
A striking example is the way figures like the Buddha are portrayed. His story follows the structure of an idealized struggle: he abandons wealth, challenges the caste system, and overcomes extreme asceticism—all without serious moral ambiguity or lasting personal failure. Even controversial choices, like leaving his family, are framed as necessary for his higher purpose. This presentation mirrors the “Mary Sue” trope in literature, where a character is depicted as unnaturally perfect, facing challenges that only serve to highlight their moral superiority.
This same narrative structure has become pervasive in Western discourse, especially under the influence of Marxist thought, which idealizes struggle as a means to a utopian end. The push for social justice, environmentalism, and other progressive movements—while rooted in noble intentions—has often taken on this “perfect struggle” framing. Activists present themselves as flawless revolutionaries, fighting against oppression in a way that allows little room for personal contradiction, moral complexity, or individual agency beyond the collective goal.
Meanwhile, institutions like the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) reflect this phenomenon on a geopolitical scale. Originally established for humanitarian aid, USAID has been implicated in covert operations where its altruistic mission was a façade for strategic interests. The creation of “ZunZuneo,” a social media platform designed to stir political unrest in Cuba, exemplifies how the narrative of “doing good” can mask underlying power plays. Similarly, Western social movements, backed by NGOs and think tanks, often operate under the guise of moral righteousness while serving broader ideological or economic interests.
Social media has amplified this phenomenon, first rewarding “virtue signaling” and now facing a backlash as people grow more aware of the performative nature of these narratives. The same collectivist tendencies that once demanded conformity in Eastern societies have taken hold in the West, with ideological purity and public perception outweighing genuine individual introspection or debate.
The so-called “Golden Age” of enlightenment isn’t necessarily about discovering new truths—it’s about exposing the carefully constructed illusions that have shaped public consciousness. As people begin questioning the idealized struggles they’ve been sold, there’s an opportunity to move beyond moral absolutism and toward a more nuanced understanding of human imperfection, individual agency, and the real forces shaping our world.