New Observations on Life as an Adult — and What That Means for Our Communities
Life stages have changed — but our policies, workplaces, and public engagement methods often haven’t. Many of the assumptions we make about adulthood are 30 years out of date, and that disconnect has real consequences for our communities.
This post is adapted from Future Here Now, a weekly newsletter from Wise Economy Workshop / Wise Fool Press, offering insights that help you navigate the Fusion Economy in the communities you care about.
💡 Why this matters:
Ages 30–45: Many adults in this group are in the “career-and-care-crush.” They are essential to our communities — professionally and personally — yet they often cannot participate in public meetings, town halls, or civic discussions. Imagine putting your public meeting at the bottom of the sea — that’s how inaccessible it feels to them.
20-somethings: Traditional developmental psychology labeled this period as “extended adolescence,” but today these young adults are highly educated, tech-savvy, and flexible thinkers. Yet too often, older decision-makers dismiss them: “You’re too young to understand.” If we truly leveraged their capabilities, our organizations, communities, and hierarchies would look very different.
60s, 70s, and beyond: The expectation of slow winding down is gone. People are contributing decades longer, whether through second careers, volunteering, or active engagement. This longevity demands mental flexibility, continuous learning, and new approaches to integrating experience with innovation.
🌱 What this means for communities and organizations:
Rethink engagement: If life phases have changed, our public meetings, civic processes, and communication channels need to change too.
Value younger adults: Their problem-solving, adaptability, and technological literacy are critical assets.
Support older adults’ growth: Continuous education, new career opportunities, and mentoring structures are more important than ever.
Reimagine policies and rules: Many systems designed for past assumptions are now obsolete.
The Fusion Economy demands fresh thinking and inclusive approaches. Industrial-era solutions only take us so far.
🚀 Take action:
📚 Read the books: Online Public Engagement 3.0 and Crowdsourcing Wisdom — practical guides for building better communities
📩 Subscribe to Future Here Now: Weekly insights that help you anticipate the Fusion Economy and engage all generations effectively
🎤 Contact us: Explore speaking engagements, workshops, and consulting to transform your organization or community
💬 If you care about building communities that truly work for people of all ages, now is the time to rethink our assumptions and embrace the new adulthood.
