A generation with an attitude

It is not uncommon to discuss an individual's attitude, often in private; however, it is less common to hear discussions about the attitude of an entire generation in a public forum.

- By GEEWANANDA GUNAWARDANA, PH.D.

A concerned group of Millennials (see Figure for definition and the span of their working lives) recently discussed the issues relating to attitude of the younger generation (see Srilankaleads.com or https://youtu.be/6YXGa0cR9Uo). This is commendable as identifying the issue is the first step toward finding a solution. The question that remains is how to address this issue before it gets worse.

Definitions of attitude differ across disciplines. In social psychology, it is viewed as ‘a cognition’ reflecting our evaluation of objects, people, places, and events with varying degrees of aversion or attraction. Simply put, it describes how we act and feel about anything and everything. Attitude comprises of three components: a) Affective, how we feel when we think or encounter something, b) Behavioural, how we act when we encounter or interact with something, and c) Cognitive, our thoughts and beliefs about something.

When referring to ‘one's attitude,’ it generally means their overall perspective or settled way of thinking and feeling about things; in other words, it is their worldview. While a specific attitude might be held towards a particular thing, the term often implies a broader, more general way of approaching life. Therefore, one’s attitude is a composite of many attitudes. They come in various forms; good, bad, and indifferent. As a result, optimising the interplay of multiple attitudes for the good of a common cause, like the fate of a country, becomes a challenging task.