Gen X: The Real Real – They Not Like Us

The Forgotten Yet Formidable

While the other generations are out here going viral or writing think pieces about avocado toast, Gen X has been holding it down in the shadows. But just because we’re quiet doesn’t mean we’re asleep. Trust and believe—we’ve seen it all, lived it all, and adapted in ways others wouldn’t survive. Say what you want about us needing therapy (don’t we all?), but what you can’t say is that we aren’t qualified. We excel at "Figure It Out"—no OJT required.

Raised in the Real

We didn’t have social media—but newsflash, we know how to use it. We were raised by Baby Boomers, so there was no soft parenting. In school, there were no fluff titles like “Locker Room Manager”—you were the Water Girl or Water Boy. We didn’t get 8th place trophies just for showing up. Hell, 2nd place barely got recognition.

We earned our emotional intelligence through lived experience. No YouTube. No TED Talks. By the time you would’ve pulled that up on your iPhone, we’d already survived the hard lesson. We got roasted at lunch, cried at recess, and still showed up the next day. That’s emotional resilience. And that muscle? It builds character, drive, and success—the stuff you can’t download.

Bridging Two Worlds

From Walkmans to Spotify. Cassette tapes to streaming. Rotary phones to FaceTime. We learned how to thrive with and without tech. No Google, no apps, and yet we showed up to class, work, graduation—on time. We navigated life with paper maps and payphones. Adapt or be left behind. That was it. No 500-option accommodations. We moved forward through what we had, not what we wished we had.

We Had No Choice – We Had to Critically Think

(Career & Development)

We didn’t have career coaches or personal brand consultants. We

learned by doing. Outside. In chaos. In silence. We built resumes with landlines and fax machines. We applied in person, pen on paper, and carried copies of our resumes in manila folders. Interviews happened in real time—with real people.

We made it work with no roadmap. Just grit, instincts, and grind.

The Silent Architects

We redefined work ethic—not just through hustle, but through timing, strategy, and results. We play chess. We ushered in remote work. We learned how to win without performing our pain for the world. While some of y’all are out here making everything content, we’re closing deals in silence.

Going at corporate America head-on without strategy? That’s not a flex—it’s a stall. You’re so smart you forgot to listen. And because we didn’t give you a play-by-play, you assumed there wasn’t a plan. There was. You just weren’t invited.

We’ve fought. We’ve won. And we didn’t need applause. Our receipts are our legacy. You’ll know we were here by the foundation you’re walking on.

Not Like Them, Not Trying to Be

We respect all generations. But we don’t aspire to be any of them. We aren’t chasing aesthetics because we’re rooted in substance. You don’t need to trend when you’re timeless.

The Real Real

We don’t have to yell or go viral to be heard. We don’t need validation to be powerful. Gen X was never forgotten—we were just too busy holding it all together while others ran ahead on paths we paved.

Whether the world gives us credit or not, we know who we are. And that’s more than enough.

We are the original generation of FAFO.