The other day I watched a man in his seventies fix a broken garden chair with nothing but a bit of wire, a butter knife, and that quiet look of “give me five minutes”. No YouTube tutorial. No panic. No drama. Just calm focus, rough hands, and the kind of patience you rarely see in a scrolling world.
His granddaughter who was about 15 years old filmed him for TikTok. She kept asking him with a mix of amusement and admiration about how he knew how to do that. He shrugged and wiped his hands on his jeans before telling her that they had to know these things back then. After that he returned to drinking his coffee as if what he had just done was completely ordinary.
Psychologists would say something did happen in that tiny scene: a clash between two mental toolkits, two eras, two ways of standing in life. One of them is quietly disappearing.
Psychology identifies 9 common phrases self-centered people often use in everyday conversations
The 7 “silent skills” many 60s and 70s kids carry without naming them
Ask people who grew up in the 1960s or 1970s about their childhood and you often hear the same background noise. Doors were slamming and kids were yelling outside while parents stayed half-aware but not hovering. They talk about disappearing all afternoon on their bikes and coming home when the streetlights flickered on. There was that particular mix of freedom and mild danger that came with it. Children from that era spent most of their time outdoors without much supervision. They explored neighborhoods and created their own entertainment. Parents trusted that kids would figure things out on their own. The community itself provided a loose safety net where neighbors knew each other and kept a casual eye on the children playing outside. This kind of childhood feels almost foreign to many parents today. The contrast between then and now shows how much our approach to raising children has changed. Modern parents face different pressures and concerns that shape how they think about safety and independence. The world that allowed such freedom has transformed in ways both real & perceived.
Psychologists who study generational change say that kind of upbringing wired a set of mental strengths that worked like training weights. Kids learnt to handle boredom, small risks, and social friction without constant adult mediation. It wasn’t idyllic for everyone, far from it, yet the daily training was real.
The result is a strange superpower today: an inner sturdiness that doesn’t scream, doesn’t brag, but shows up when Wi‑Fi goes down, plans fall apart, or life doesn’t follow a script.
Think about the everyday skills baked into that era. If the TV broke, you jiggled the antenna, gave it a thump, or waited for the repair guy next week. If your friend wasn’t home, you walked to someone else’s house or you were just…alone. No messages, no blue ticks, no endless notifications filling the gaps.
One woman, raised in the early 70s, told a researcher that her mother locked the front door at 9 p.m. on school nights “for peace”. If you forgot your keys, you slept at a neighbour’s or figured it out. It sounds harsh now, yet that kind of unpredictability trained kids to plan, adapt, and ask for help in the real world, not only through a screen.
A 2021 survey on resilience across age groups found that people over 55 reported significantly higher confidence in “coping with unexpected problems” than younger adults. Not because they’re smarter. Because they spent years practicing on low-stakes chaos.
Psychologists often group these mental strengths into seven big muscles: frustration tolerance, boredom resilience, practical problem-solving, thick skin with feedback, delayed gratification, everyday courage, and community reliance. People raised in the 60s and 70s didn’t attend workshops with those labels. They just lived them.
Psychology says people who still write to-do lists by hand rather than on their phone often display nine distinct personality traits. These individuals tend to show a preference for tangible experiences over digital ones. They usually have a stronger connection to traditional methods of organization and planning. Research suggests that handwriting activates different parts of the brain compared to typing on a device. People who write lists by hand often demonstrate better memory retention. The physical act of writing helps them remember tasks more effectively than simply typing them into an app. They tend to be more deliberate in their planning process and take time to think through their priorities. These individuals frequently show a higher level of mindfulness in their daily routines. They are less likely to feel overwhelmed by constant digital notifications and distractions. Writing by hand creates a moment of pause that allows for clearer thinking. Hand writers often display greater creativity in problem solving. The slower pace of handwriting gives their minds more time to make connections between ideas. They typically approach tasks with more intention and focus. They usually have stronger organizational skills that extend beyond just making lists. These people tend to value structure & order in multiple areas of their life. They often find satisfaction in the physical act of crossing items off their list. People who prefer handwritten lists generally show more patience with processes. They are comfortable with methods that take slightly more time but provide better results. They often resist the pressure to constantly upgrade to the newest technology. These individuals frequently demonstrate higher levels of self-discipline. The commitment to maintaining a handwritten system requires consistency and dedication. They tend to follow through on their plans more reliably than those who rely solely on digital reminders. Hand writers often show a deeper appreciation for simplicity. They recognize that sometimes the oldest methods remain the most effective. They value the clarity that comes from putting pen to paper without digital interference.
➡️ Winter storm warning issued as up to 60 inches of snow are expected this weekend, with major travel and power disruptions possible
# Harvard Psychologist: Couples Who Truly Trust Each Other Use 7 Phrases
Trust forms the foundation of any strong relationship. According to research from Harvard psychology experts, couples who maintain deep trust tend to use specific phrases in their daily communication. These seven expressions help partners feel secure and valued in their connection. The first phrase is “I believe in you.” This simple statement shows your partner that you have confidence in their abilities & decisions. When someone hears these words they feel supported rather than judged. The second phrase is “Tell me more about that.” This invitation to share demonstrates genuine interest in your partner’s thoughts & experiences. It creates space for deeper conversation and shows you value their perspective. The third phrase is “I was wrong.” Admitting mistakes requires vulnerability & honesty. When you acknowledge being wrong, you show your partner that the relationship matters more than your ego. The fourth phrase is “What do you need from me?” This question shows you care about meeting your partner’s needs. It opens the door for honest communication about expectations and support. The fifth phrase is “I appreciate you.” Expressing gratitude regularly reminds your partner that you notice and value their contributions to the relationship. This recognition strengthens emotional bonds. The sixth phrase is “We’ll figure this out together.” This statement reinforces that you view challenges as a team effort rather than individual problems. It creates a sense of partnership and shared responsibility. The seventh phrase is “I trust your judgment.” Showing confidence in your partner’s decision-making abilities demonstrates respect. It tells them you see them as capable and reliable. These phrases work because they promote openness and emotional safety. When both partners use this type of language consistently, they build a relationship where trust can flourish naturally over time.
➡️ People who apologize too quickly tend to share this internal fear, according to psychology
➡️ During the Spanish postwar it was an almost daily meal: today not even grandmothers remember the recipe
➡️ The cleaning habit that quietly saves time every single week
Research in behavioral science shows that individuals who walk at a faster pace than most people tend to display similar personality characteristics. These patterns have appeared repeatedly in various scientific studies over time. People who walk quickly often demonstrate higher levels of energy and ambition in their daily lives. They typically approach tasks with urgency & prefer to accomplish things efficiently. Fast walkers generally show more extroverted tendencies and feel comfortable taking charge in social situations. Studies indicate that walking speed correlates with certain psychological traits. Quick walkers usually exhibit greater conscientiousness & self-discipline compared to slower walkers. They tend to be more organized and goal-oriented in their approach to work and personal projects. The connection between walking pace & personality extends to emotional patterns as well. Faster walkers often experience higher stress levels and may feel impatient when things move too slowly. They generally prefer active lifestyles & become restless during periods of inactivity. Research also suggests that people who walk briskly typically value their time more intensely. They often schedule their days carefully and dislike wasting time on unproductive activities. This mindset influences how they interact with others and manage their responsibilities. These personality indicators remain consistent across different cultures and age groups. Scientists have observed these patterns in urban & rural settings alike. The relationship between walking speed and personality traits appears to be a reliable indicator of broader behavioral tendencies.
# WhatsApp: A Simple Trick to Clear Your Cache & Free Up Phone Storage
Parents who say they love their kids yet refuse to do these 9 things are pushing them away
Most people use WhatsApp every day without realizing how much space the app takes up on their phone. Over time the messaging app accumulates photos, videos voice messages & other files that can fill up your device storage. Many users don’t know that WhatsApp has a hidden feature that lets you clear out unnecessary data and recover valuable space. The app stores every media file you receive in conversations. Even if you delete a chat the files often remain on your phone taking up room. This buildup happens gradually but can eventually slow down your device or prevent you from installing new apps and taking photos. Fortunately there is an easy way to clean up this accumulated data. WhatsApp includes a storage management tool that most people never discover. This feature shows you exactly which chats and file types are using the most space on your phone. To access this tool open WhatsApp and go to the settings menu. Look for the storage or data usage section depending on your phone type. Inside you will find a detailed breakdown of how much space WhatsApp is using and which conversations contain the largest files. The tool lets you sort files by size and type. You can quickly identify old videos or large photo collections that you no longer need. With just a few taps you can delete these files without removing the actual text messages from your conversations. This method is much more effective than manually going through each chat to delete media files one by one. The storage manager gives you a complete overview and lets you clean up multiple conversations at once. Regular maintenance of your WhatsApp storage can keep your phone running smoothly. Consider checking this feature every few months to prevent unnecessary buildup. You might be surprised at how much space you can recover with just a few minutes of effort.
Frustration tolerance was missing your favorite show and waiting a full week for the next chance. Boredom resilience came from long car rides where the only entertainment was the window and your own thoughts. Practical problem-solving grew in houses where things got fixed, not instantly replaced.
What’s becoming rare today isn’t just those situations, but the constant repetition of them. Modern life removes a lot of the “training weight”, so the muscle doesn’t get the same daily micro-workouts.
How to spot these 7 strengths (and quietly rebuild them today)
If you talk to someone who grew up in that era, you can often feel these seven strengths in small everyday gestures. They don’t crumble when plans change at the last minute. They try to fix something before throwing it away. They can wait in a line without their phone, staring into space without panicking about “wasted time”.
One practical way to rebuild this 60s–70s mental toolkit is to use “micro-frustrations” as training. Let the kettle boil without looking at your phone. Resist the urge to track a package every hour. Try to solve a small home problem with what you already have before ordering yet another gadget.
Each time you do that, you’re basically doing mental push-ups in the same gym those earlier generations didn’t know they had signed up for.
There’s a catch, though. Many people raised later feel ashamed that they struggle with things older relatives find effortless. They compare their anxiety about unanswered messages or unexpected delays with their parents’ apparent calm and decide they’re “weak” or “too sensitive”. That story doesn’t help anyone.
The context changed. Kids today grew up with instant responses, constant feedback, and tech that smooths every rough edge. Their brains were simply trained by a different environment. It’s not a moral failure. It’s conditioning.
The mistake is to romanticize the past or demonize the present. Some 60s and 70s experiences were traumatic, not character-building. The real question is: which of those old mental strengths are worth keeping, and how can we pass them on without recreating the damage?
Psychologist Gene Twenge summed it up bluntly in a lecture: “Resilience isn’t born. It’s practiced. The 60s and 70s just forced more practice.”
- Frustration tolerance – Waiting, failing, trying again without exploding inside or outside.
- Boredom resilience – Staying with empty moments long enough for ideas, not just distractions, to appear.
- Practical problem-solving – Looking around, using what’s at hand, improvising instead of freezing.
- Thick skin with feedback – Hearing “no”, “not yet”, or “do it better” without collapsing into shame.
- Delayed gratification – Accepting that some rewards come next week, next year, or even later.
- Everyday courage – Crossing town alone, speaking up, trying new things without endless rehearsals.
- Community reliance – Knowing neighbours, asking for help, and offering it back, without a formal app.
The quiet heritage of 60s–70s minds in a hyperconnected age
If you listen carefully, you can hear a soft friction between generations everywhere. A 68‑year‑old rolls her eyes at “kids who can’t cope with anything”. A 25‑year‑old secretly envies how her grandfather shrugs off bad news and fixes the leaking tap on his own. Both are touching different sides of the same story.
The mental abilities that developed during the 1960s & 1970s are not just memories from a better time. They remain useful skills for today when we face worries about climate change & jobs that offer little security and try to keep pace with a world that changes faster than anyone can follow. Having good internet access does not guarantee that you have inner strength.
We’ve all been there, that moment when a minor setback feels like the end of the day because every small stress stacks on top of the last notification. That’s where those seven old-school muscles matter. Not to prove toughness, but to create a bit of inner space. Space to pause before reacting. Space to say “I’ll figure this out” and believe it.
Rebuilding those strengths doesn’t require moving to a cabin, throwing away your phone, or pretending it’s 1973 again. It starts with tiny, almost invisible choices. Walking somewhere without earbuds. Letting a child be mildly bored for ten minutes without rushing in with a screen. Trying one DIY fix before paying for one‑click delivery.
Let’s be honest: nobody really does this every single day. That is fine. The 60s & 70s did not produce superheroes either. They produced people who had thousands of small encounters with reality that left marks on their nervous systems.
That’s the quiet heritage worth salvaging. Not the nostalgia, not the myths, just the practice. The repetition. The slow, lived discovery that you can face more than you thought and that life, even when it doesn’t reload instantly, still moves.
| Key point | Detail | Value for the reader |
|---|---|---|
| 7 mental strengths from the 60s–70s | Frustration tolerance, boredom resilience, practical problem-solving, thick skin, delayed gratification, everyday courage, community reliance | Gives a clear framework to understand what older generations often do “naturally” |
| Context shapes resilience | Different childhood environments train different mental muscles, without moral judgment | Reduces shame and comparison, opens space to consciously train missing strengths |
| Small daily “micro-frustrations” | Short, intentional moments without instant relief or digital escape | Offers realistic, gentle ways to rebuild rare mental strengths in modern life |
FAQ:
- What exactly were the 7 mental strengths common in 60s–70s childhoods?
They include frustration tolerance, boredom resilience, practical problem-solving, thicker skin with feedback, delayed gratification, everyday courage, and community reliance. People didn’t name them like this back then, but daily life constantly trained those abilities.- Does this mean people raised today are weaker?
No. It means they were trained by different conditions: permanent connectivity, fast feedback, and fewer unstructured risks. Some strengths grew more (like digital skills and emotional vocabulary), others less. The point is to notice gaps, not shame a whole generation.- Can adults still build these “old-school” strengths later in life?
Yes. The brain remains plastic. Adults can use small challenges—waiting, fixing, speaking up, relying on neighbours—to slowly increase those capacities. It’s less dramatic than a total life overhaul and often more sustainable.- How can parents pass on these strengths without recreating 70s-style neglect?
By allowing safe, age-appropriate struggle. Let kids try, fail a bit, wait, and solve problems with support nearby but not constantly intervening. It’s about presence without over-control, rather than “you’re on your own, figure it out”.- Is nostalgia for the 60s–70s dangerous when talking about resilience?
It can be. Those decades also held real violence, inequality, and silence around mental health. The goal isn’t to romanticize hardship but to extract what was genuinely useful—like autonomy, patience, and neighbourly ties—and blend it with today’s gains in safety and awareness.
