Gen X’ers Share The Unglamorous Adult Things They Love To Do, Here Are 30 Of The Most Relatable

In a fun little factoid, sure to delight and amuse any gen-x history buff, the term generation x was actually coined by none other than famed Hungarian photographer Rober Capa, possibly best known for his work documenting the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War. His 1950 photo essay about the generation who had grown up during the war was titled “Generation X,” representing their alienation. 

While the term didn’t stick to this group in particular, the idea of a generation alienated from everything by the time they could read survived and was applied to the cohort that was born in the late 1970s to early 1980s. 

The X, incidentally, represented a sort of unknown value, as one would see in a simple math problem. This was an interesting change in pace from the baby boomers and the greatest generation, whose names contained some more useful descriptors, which is potentially why, when it comes to generational discourse, Gen X remains the least talked about, compared to millennials and Gen Z. 

Studies of Gen X behavior suggest that many of the “simple” pleasures are listed here due to this generation's appreciation for a work-life balance. While chores are obviously not the same as work, doing some daily tasks efficiently is its own reward, while some weekend shopping is a relaxing getaway, the ability to walk around, take one’s time and just enjoy not being on the clock. 

This appreciation for the simple things in life might be the reason Gen X, at least in the US, reports a relatively high level of life satisfaction. They also tend to not care as much about what other people think of them, which probably allows them to openly admit that, for example, a trip to Home Depot is a good weekend activity. Unburdened by Boomer’s old-fashioned perspectives and Millenial’s and Zoomer's constant comparison to people online, Gen X appears content to just relax. 

So hopefully many of the concepts here serve as a reminder to not make far-reaching judgments as a child, who knows when cooking an entire meal with minimal clean-up requirements will spark joy. And on the flip side, it never hurts to remember that it’s possible to find satisfaction in smaller things in life if one is just willing to relax and enjoy.