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The differences in the generations may not be as marked as those differences found between different ethnic cultures, religions, genders, personalities or even professions. However, inter-generational differences are capable of sparking deep emotions at the interfaces of the different generations. Defensive and even hostile emotions are triggered by unconscious anxieties around identity and belonging, fear and envy of ´the other´, attitudes to authority, the taboo of incest and the fear of death and dying. What each generation desires is respect from others. Members of the older generation want to be respected for their knowledge because it may be all that separates them from redundancy and ´death´. Younger generations want to be respected for their competence and technological savvy and for their youth which is revered through the media in this society. The middle generation, the silent generation, the ´ME´ generation, is struggling to be heard and faces the possibility of metaphorically picking up the pieces for its elders and contemptuously wiping the noses of its younger siblings.

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Judith Kent is an organisational improvement consultant, coach and educator. She works with organisations to create environments which encourage engagement and productivity. Her two sons and husband have been the inspiration for her work with different generations and she continues to hope that all generations will learn to respect each other.

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