The Rising Generation’s Individuation
Mason, Tyler and Peyton Hoge
Individuation is a term coined by Carl Jung, a Swiss psychologist, defined as a process of psychological integration. According to Wikipedia, Individuation is a process of transforming the personal and collective unconscious and bringing it into consciousness using dreams, active imagination, or free association to be assimilated into a person’s whole personality. What does Individuation mean for the rising generation?
Using the term, the Next Generation, as we often do, doesn’t give the subsequent generations a way to find themselves and their purpose. The founders can overshadow their individual hopes and dreams. The founder had a vision for his future, and he pursued it successfully. Founders are often seen as bigger-than-life wealth creators, bringing doubt to their children’s and grandchildren’s capabilities. If your father or grandfather is Bill Gates, Sam Walton, or Warren Buffett, how can you live up to the standard they set?
Consider the modification from Next Gen to Rising Gen. The slight change of a word brings a broader meaning. The Next Gen is in the shadows of the previous generations, while the Rising Gen is in the process of individuation. Often a twenty-something is asked, “What are your dreams?” But what if they don’t know? Some children from a young age know their path in life separate from their parents, but that is typically an exception. The Rising Gen needs to develop away from the shade of the family tree.
Take the example of the Gallo family, Caroline Coleman Bailey, a Gallo Next Gen. She followed the family business, becoming a successful contributor. Growing up in the wine business, she did not have a separate identity. It was all part of the family’s culture. Until one day, she realized it wasn’t her life’s purpose. She shares her individuation journey in her book, Rooted in Family-Honoring the Past While Creating Our Future. By leaving the family business, she was able to develop her passions.
“If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it is yours. If it doesn't, it never was.”
Parents and Grandparent’s read the quote carefully. Of course, you love your children, but is it the best thing for them to follow you in the family enterprise? It can be rationalized that they don’t know their dreams, so give them a job even if you must create one that suits them. But have they finished their journey to their realization of purpose? The process is part of their development, so set them free.
The Rising Generation isn’t age-dependent; it is process-dependent. Give the process time to be completed. Not everyone has the same life journey. Kudos to your child who has wanted to be a doctor since high school when neither parent is in the medical field. But don’t belittle the older sibling who doesn’t yet know. Support their interests but define the meaning of work. Not every job is ideal, but it is a learning opportunity. Use the Family Balance Sheet as a guide.
The Family Balance Sheet considers the various forms of Capital. Although Financial is one type of Capital, how are they developing in the other forms, Human, Intellectual, Social, Legacy, and Spiritual? Their capital might be low depending on where they are in the journey, but if you develop it annually, their types of capital will continue to increase.
With Individuation, the Rising Generation will become a Generation of their own. It could be with the family enterprise or a stand-alone venture, but it will be their accomplishment. They will know they are capable outside the family tree’s shade.
