Earlier today, I noticed an exchange between friends online about a selection of quizzes on a fairly popular website. These quizzes, boasted answers to questions such as “What City are YOU Meant to Live in?” and “What Decade Should You Really Have Been Born In?”
I’m not going to pretend that I didn’t take these quizzes (my answers were Portland and the 60’s). But these quizzes giving answers to aspects of life that either can never, or probably will never happen brought to light an aspect of our generation that until now, had never been this clear.

We are the generation of expectation.

Most of us in our twenties are in search of answers. Whether we are finished with school and experiencing the real world, or still fighting our way through a degree, we are in a constant quest to discover ourselves. Our generation (whatever you want to call it – it has been labelled many things) is one of dependance. It is not a new realization that we have been “coddled” more than other generations have, as this has been stated many times. However, I think one main aspect of this dependence in our generation has been overlooked, and that is our anxious need for answers.

There is a psychic on Elm street in Toronto that I pass by everyday on my way to school. Her sign promises answers to life and love, “all for a very cheap price!”, and while I have been tempted to investigate on many occasions (mainly when my life seems to be stuck in some sort of turbulent emotional hurricane) something has always stopped me.

Upon examining what this unknown hesitation was, I realized that a small part of me felt like I was giving up on my own judgement. Almost as if, in the moment that I allow someone else to determine my fate, my own authority over my actions would be discredited. And if this was the case, how could I trust my judgement in any situation again? Like some sort of addictive drug, relying on someone else to make important life decisions is a slippery slope.

When I say we are the “generation of expectation”, I am referring to more than just simple advice in tough times. I am touching more on our expectation that answers are accessible and easy to find. In the age of the search engine, this is usually the case. And for the non-complicated inquiries, such as the location of the nearest grocery store, this kind of “click-to-discover” method is wonderful.

But when it comes to the tougher material, no answer is ever meant to be easy to find.

Most of the time, I feel like my tendency to become lost in my own head hinders my ability to make concrete decisions. Introspective by nature, I can get lost in my own thoughts easily, over thinking the simplest dilemma. It can becoming overwhelming, actually. However, in these instances of confusion, I take pride in my never ending reverberations of thought.

Real discovery takes time. It takes distance to gain true perspective, and distance can only be gained through the separation of the self from the issue. In tough matters such as love, loyalty and livelihood, a decision cannot be rushed.

Learn to discover yourself. Do not take the easy way out in tough times. Breathe. Because no one knows you better than you know yourself, and by each time you allow someone else decide what is right for you, you are allowing a piece of yourself to slip away, or to become blurred beyond recognition. The satisfaction of the confidence in knowing who you are is the most fulfilling feeling in the world, and can never be taken away from you.

I’m not saying don’t indulge in a little self-discovery through an online quiz every once in a while. But next time an article promises answers, think about it yourself first. Then click away.