Times Change, People Don't

Every successive generation cleverly dubs themselves with a catchy phrase that they believe to be all encompassing to define themselves. As much as each generation would like to call themselves as unique, it is imperative to remember that they still embody traits from previous generations. Writings of the past help illustrate how people still act the same way as their predecessors did.

When the colonists and puritans arrived in the New World, they documented what they saw through essays, novels, and poems. A clear motif in all of these pieces of literature was their central belief: God. The range of writing depicting God was from gratefulness expressed by William Bradford to distrust and wickedness expressed by Jonathan Edwards. Regardless of the tone the authors used to describe God, they all attributed ultimate power and control to Him. Every action of these early people was done to please God.

Many people will say that those writings are now outdated, but the message they expressed are still central to many people’s beliefs today. It is common for most people to hear their parents say “Don’t do that! Somebody is watching!” Whether people believe in a higher power, or God, people still try to act in order to please someone else. This behavior of constantly trying to gain recognition and acknowledgement from others stems from the Puritan's beliefs. Even today, when people act altruistically they look to see what they can gain from their actions. When some people volunteer they try to gain recognition or adulation. There are very few people who act out of the goodness of their hearts. 

Even though times have changed, the people's behavior has not changed very much. People through time have valued the same morals. Every young generation wants to differentiate themselves, but in the end the way they act is parallel to their ancestors.