Word: youthful
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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Graham B. Blaine. Jr.. psychiatric chief at Harvard's University Health Services, gave his own version of the Bettelheim argument in a speech to the American Social Health Association on November 1. The text of the speech-entitled "What's Behind the Youth Rebellion?"-was reprinted in the magazine section of last Sunday's Herald-Traveler...
...terms of a single motivation like risk taking. Blaine made no mention of the other functions drugs can fill-including the fact that taking drugs can be enjoyable. It's also hard to figure out how he came up with "fast driving" as an integral part of today's youth culture, and he must realize that most of the risk has been taken out of "irresponsible sexual behavior...
Blaine ended his speech with a pitch for "realizing the tremendous value inherent in the idealism of today's young . . . youth serves an important function when it startles us out of complacency and stirs us . . . to act toward a healthy change...
There is nothing to do. As one character puts it (in a line that gives the best quick explanation of why the dream of American youth is dropping out that I have ever heard in a theatre): "It's a funny world full of funny freaks. You can't plan on anything. It's all so stupid in the end. I can't do anything anymore. All I want to do is sleep now; and cat now; and drink now; and smoke now; and bet now; and bowl now; and fuck now. I don't want to do anything else...
Blaine concluded, however, that "The older generation must realize the tremendous value inherent in the idealism of today's young and give them credit for this. As always, youth serves an important function when it startles us out of complacency and stirs us to view the world from their new perspective out of which we may choose to act toward a healthy change...