Today’s column uses the annual Mindset List developed at Beloit College as a model. It rests on the notion that, for many of us, history begins on the day we are born. Who hasn’t dismissed the styles of the previous generation as hopeless antiques?
Before we get into the registry, here’s some unsolicited advice for elected officials as 2026 begins. Control the dialectic or the dialectic will control you.
Perhaps this registry will help me as well as my friends at The Center for Continuing Adult Learning in Oneonta to deepen our understanding of new members. The Mindset Registry reflects the cultural touchstones and major events that shaped people born about 1961.
People born around 1961 have always taken the TV remote for granted. They learned computers on the job, yet remember when personal computers first appeared in homes. They watched the internet evolve from a curiosity into an indispensable utility, saw cell phones progress from brick size to smartphones, and moved from arcade games to home gaming consoles. They remember film cameras and waiting a week for drugstore prints. They have shifted from cable television to a world in which streaming is routine rather than novel. They are too young to remember Clint Eastwood as Rowdy Yates; he has always been a movie actor/director. They have adopted platforms such as LinkedIn, X, Facebook and TikTok to stay connected with colleagues, friends and family. They remember when “shopping” meant going out to a store and now appreciate the convenience of buying almost anything online. They smile at the thought that Dick Tracy’s wrist radio was once pure science fiction.
Germany and Japan have been allies of the United States, and the U.S. has been part of NATO for as long as they can remember. The moon landing is a wide eyed, black and white TV memory. They grew up during the Vietnam War, its protests and its lasting imprint on American politics and culture. They experienced the anxiety of the Cold War and the relief of watching the Berlin Wall fall in 1989. They have witnessed and often participated in social movements advocating for civil rights, women’s rights, environmental protection and LGBTQ+ equality. They have watched the world become more interconnected through expanding trade, cheaper air travel and instantaneous global communication.
Members of this cohort have seen the workplace move, however unevenly, from rigid 9-to-5 schedules toward more flexible arrangements. They have lived through waves of fitness crazes (motion is lotion) and changing dietary advice (vegan or paleo?), and now view a high level of health and wellness awareness as normal. They have witnessed major gains in equality among races, sexes and cultures, even as those issues remain unfinished work.
They always expected to bear responsibility for their own retirement security through 401(k) plans and similar savings vehicles. Many are startled — but secretly pleased — when they find themselves having serious conversations with adults born in this century. Some guys have always worn their baseball caps backward. A certain Anglo Saxon four letter word, was rarely used or reserved for private moments among men; now, for many women, using it can feel like an assertion of independence.
Recent pensioners tend to prize experiences over possessions, often seeing travel as the best way to use time and money. Lifelong learning is a core value; as the Texan said, never crouch with spurs on. Classes, workshops and training keep them current with changing technologies and social trends. They recognize the importance of contributing to their communities and are inclined to volunteer, serve on boards and participate in local civic or nonprofit organizations. They know they should let go of that dusty box of mystery chargers and cords. They want to make 2026 the year of less talking, more listening.
As they arrive at retirement in 2026, they bring with them a mindset shaped by rapid technological change, social upheaval and a determination that learning and engagement do not end when the pension starts.