"The sins of the fathers are visited upon the children." All our lives we have been told that our generation is "lazy" or "undisciplined," and that we live in a dying corrupt world. The ecosystem is in shambles, the economy is decaying, and we are constantly flooded with nihilistic thoughts from older generations. The effects are evident, as depression and suicide rates are the highest that they have ever been in recorded history. Despite this, my generation and I, continue to thrive and strive for greatness. We are constantly told that everything was more difficult back in the day, yet that is not true. Certain things have gotten more straightforward, and others have gotten harder. Attending college is eight times more expensive than it was just forty years ago, and housing pricing has doubled in the last twenty years. Despite this, wages have remained at a similar level for decades. Despite this, our elders continue to think only for themselves. "The housing crisis isn't real, Global warming is a hoax," etc. This is most harmful because most if not all governmental officials are from a much older generation that refuses to acclimate or acknowledge today's current problems and focus more on lining their own pockets and protecting themselves. Does all this complaining mean that we are victims? No, we will be all the much stronger and wiser for it. As G. Michael Hopf wrote in his postapocalyptic novel, "Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.” Our hard times will only make us stronger and wiser. In summary, the reason that our generation is so determined in the face of such odds is because of a simple question: "If I don't, who will?"