BY : Zakir Ahmed
Chairman, Gradsy Institute of Business & Technology.
The generations born in the 1980s and 1990scommonly known as Millennialsand their predecessors, Generation X, can rightly be called the “Healthy Mindset Generations.” They grew up in environments with limited resources but strong values. Discipline, patience, and perseverance were not optionalthey were essential life skills. Their upbringing nurtured emotional resilience, accountability, and the ability to sustain relationships through challenges. Many of today’s inventions, innovations, and societal frameworks owe their origin to their creativity, problem-solving skills, and perseverance.
Generation Z, born after 2000, has grown up in an entirely different worldone defined by instant gratification, digital acceleration, and unprecedented convenience. While these advances are remarkable, it is important to note that all these innovations are the result of Generation X’s creativity and effort. Yet, in the eyes of Generation Z, the structured thinking, discipline, and resilience of Millennials and Generation X often appear outdated and antiquated, which is essentially a reflection of Generation Z’s own limited perspective.
In many Eastern societiesincluding Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, and the Arab world—well-intentioned but overindulgent parenting has unintentionally produced a generation that is less prepared for life’s uncertainties. Children are surrounded by comfort and luxury yet deprived of discipline, accountability, and real-world exposure. Elite schools and expensive institutions are often chosen not to build competence, but to protect children from challengesweakening independence rather than strengthening it.
A defining challenge facing Generation Z is a low tolerance for uncertainty and failure. Delayed success, job rejections, or even minor criticism can lead to discouragement, anxiety, and frequent career changes. Commitment is weakened, patience eroded, and perseverance replaced by entitlement. Life is expected to follow a perfect sequenceeducation, career, marriage, familybut reality rarely conforms to such ideals.
A growing disconnect from culture and tradition compounds these challenges. Many young individuals are well-acquainted with global consumer culture and fast food, yet unfamiliar with their own traditional cuisine, values, and social norms. Gender dynamics also reveal imbalance: some young women equate independence with emotional detachment, while some young men adopt slogans like “my life, my choice,” often overlooking responsibility toward parents and family. Awareness frequently arrives too latewhen relationships fracture and regret replaces entitlement.
A fundamental truth that Generation Z must accept is that life is inherently unpredictable. There is no guarantee of marriage at an “ideal” age, of children being free from challenges, or of lifelong good health. Timely educationfrom graduation to master’s or doctoral studiesdoes not ensure ideal employment. A spouse may or may not align with expectations, and children, if granted, can test patience rather than simply bring ease. Outcomes ultimately depend on character, values, and conduct, particularly how one treats elders and sustains relationships.
In contrast, Generation X and Millennials represent a Healthy Mindset Generation. They navigated uncertainty, embraced responsibility early, and learned resilience through lived experience rather than entitlement. They treated failure as instruction, nurtured relationships with patience and compromise, and accepted that life rarely follows a perfect script. They did not merely witness progressthey built it.
Similarly, in many European societies, children are actively engaged in household responsibilities, civic duties, and practical education, fostering independence, discipline, and emotional maturity from an early age. Experience, not indulgence, prepares individuals for lifea principle that Generation X and Millennials understood instinctively.
Questioning authority has always been a sign of intellectual growth. However, when questioning is divorced from responsibility and focused solely on personal comfort, it breeds instability. Excessive freedom without guidance is increasingly linked to mental health challenges, family breakdowns, rising divorce rates, and social isolation, reflecting an inability to coexist, compromise, or endure.
Yet, this trajectory is not irreversible. By learning from Generation X and Millennials—prioritizing character over comfort, experience over entitlement, and discipline over indulgenceGeneration Z can be guided to face life as it truly is: unpredictable, imperfect, and demanding. Combining love with accountability, freedom with responsibility, and ambition with values, we can raise a generation that is not merely privileged, but resilient, capable, and morally grounded.
True progress does not lie in making life easier for our children; it lies in making them strong enough to face life.
BY : Zakir Ahmed
Chairman, Gradsy Institute of Business & Technology.
