TL;DR: Resilience Lessons from the 60s and 70s for Modern Entrepreneurs
People who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s developed rare qualities like resilience, patience, and self-reliance due to a slower-paced, less tech-driven lifestyle. These traits are crucial for entrepreneurs today as they navigate challenges in business.
• Key skills include: tolerating discomfort, self-reliance, mastering patience, emotional regulation, and conflict resolution.
• Apply these lessons: Embrace challenges, practice long-term goal setting, strengthen communication, and limit reliance on external validation.
These time-tested qualities can help business owners foster creativity, build strong teams, and achieve sustainable success. Discover how prioritizing patience and focus can transform entrepreneurial outcomes with insights on thriving mindsets.
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The 1960s and 1970s were not just decades of cultural revolution, they were a playground for resilience. Living without instant answers, digital tools, or algorithmic guidance, people developed unique psychological strengths that might feel alien to younger generations today. Resilience, patience, and other deep-rooted qualities became embedded in their personality thanks to the slower pace of life and the challenges they encountered. For entrepreneurs and business minds today, there’s a lot to learn from this era. Stick with me as we uncover the rare treasures of resilience from the 60s and 70s, and how they’re worth cultivating even now.
What are these rare qualities and why do they matter?
Have you ever wondered why some generations seem to excel under pressure while others falter? Psychology studies on people who grew up in the 60s and 70s show they often possess a suite of mental strengths that have become increasingly scarce in today’s instant-gratification world. Think about the patience required to wait days for mail to arrive, the creativity needed to fix broken appliances without replacement parts, or the courage to resolve conflicts face-to-face. These experiences built resilience and other qualities that are highly applicable for entrepreneurs facing constant hurdles in business.
- Tolerance for discomfort: Navigating challenges without panicking.
- Self-reliance: Solving problems independently without external help.
- Conflict resolution skills: Handling and overcoming arguments in real time.
- Mastery of patience: Delaying gratification and appreciating anticipation.
- Capacity to savor simplicity: Finding joy in small victories rather than endless consumption.
- Intrinsic self-worth: Living without the need for external validation, like “likes” or “followers.”
- Commitment to recovery: Overcoming hardship without making trauma a badge of identity.
- Emotional regulation: Managing feelings effectively amidst uncertainty and stress.
These qualities mattered then just as much as they matter now. Entrepreneurs, especially, can cultivate these traits to push through adversity, build stronger teams, and lead with a steady, creative mindset. Let’s break down what each quality entails and explore how you can apply them in your daily life.
What lessons can entrepreneurs learn from the 60s/70s mindset?
How does tolerance for discomfort build resilience in business?
Entrepreneurs face discomfort daily, whether it’s navigating financial uncertainty, handling customer complaints, or pitching ideas that might get rejected. People from the 60s and 70s weren’t strangers to discomfort. From enduring harsh winters with limited heating to handling delayed gratification in every aspect of life, they learned how to sit with uneasy feelings instead of running from them. When entrepreneurs learn to tolerate discomfort, they manage stress better, address problems head-on, and position themselves for long-term growth.
- Practical tip: When facing discomfort or uncertainty in your business, pause instead of reacting impulsively. Take five minutes to breathe deeply and process your emotions.
- Reflection exercise: Write down positive outcomes that have previously come from uncomfortable situations. Use them to reframe challenges as opportunities.
Why does self-reliance matter for modern-day entrepreneurs?
In the pre-Google era, fixing broken items or solving problems meant digging into books or relying on ingenuity. For entrepreneurs, self-reliance translates into resourcefulness, a core skill for building and scaling ventures. When founders believe in their ability to tackle challenges alone, they make better decisions, take calculated risks, and engender trust within their teams.
- Practical tip: Start honing self-reliance by forcing yourself to troubleshoot problems before delegating them.
- Example: Resolve minor tech breakdowns in your office so you better understand equipment failures and solutions.
How can patience lead to better results?
In business, rushing often leads to mistakes or shallow outcomes. People growing up in the 60s and 70s understood that great things take time, like waiting for photos to develop or saving for months to afford special treats. Entrepreneurs who learn patience build stronger foundations for their businesses and create deeper connections with clients and investors.
- Practical tip: Give yourself deadlines but plan for flexibility. Good client relationships or successful launches often require extra time to grow organically.
- Example: Instead of pushing a rushed product into the market, focus on iterative cycles that improve quality.
What mistakes should entrepreneurs avoid?
- Relying heavily on external validation, your worth is not tied to likes or followers.
- Running away from discomfort; avoidance only amplifies stress.
- Forgetting to savor wins, acknowledge small milestones rather than always chasing the next big goal.
- Ignoring long-term strategies in favor of quick results; patience builds sustainable growth.
- Fearing honest communication during conflict; over time, sweeping things under the rug leads to toxicity.
How can you build these qualities starting today?
If you’re ready to cultivate resilience, start small. These changes won’t happen overnight, and progress requires intentional effort. Think of developing these qualities as a muscle, practice makes stronger.
- Step 1: Embrace discomfort by exposing yourself to controlled challenges. For example, practice public speaking or negotiation in tough scenarios.
- Step 2: Build patience by setting long-term goals without shortcuts. Track incremental progress instead of rushing results.
- Step 3: Practice conflict resolution with direct communication. Avoid using email or messaging apps for confrontational conversations; opt for face-to-face interactions when possible.
- Step 4: Limit external validation. Schedule reflective journaling sessions that reinforce your intrinsic worth, separate from work or social feedback.
- Step 5: Celebrate simplicity in your day. Find joy in affordable accomplishments, a good cup of coffee, a productive meeting, or hitting pause before burnout.
Resilience doesn’t require rewriting your personality, it requires subtle shifts in how you approach challenges and connect with the world. Equip yourself with these foundational qualities for a more rewarding entrepreneurial journey.
FAQ on Rare Resilience Qualities from the 60s and 70s Generation
How did growing up in the 60s and 70s cultivate self-reliance?
The generation of the 60s and 70s developed self-reliance out of necessity. Without today’s instant gratification tools like Google or YouTube, problem-solving required deep focus and creativity. For example, if an appliance broke down, they couldn’t simply look up “how-to” videos. This fostered resourcefulness and persistence, traits integral to entrepreneurship today. Modern business leaders can learn from this generation by embracing challenges without immediately outsourcing or delegating issues. Enhance your entrepreneurial self-reliance with these Essential Startup Skills for Female Founders.
Why is patience an important trait for entrepreneurs?
Growing up when gratification wasn’t instant taught people to develop an incredible sense of patience. Waiting days or weeks for letters, slowly saving money, or anticipating rare treats contributed to this skill. For entrepreneurs today, cultivating patience allows for steady growth, attention to detail, and stronger client or investor relationships. Get insights into fostering patience with long-term strategies by reading The Female Founder Mindset.
How do 60s and 70s generations display better tolerance for discomfort?
This cohort often faced harsh conditions like cold winters with limited heating or manual labor for household tasks, which built resilience and tolerance for discomfort. Entrepreneurs can practice this by facing business uncertainties without avoidance. Learn how discomfort can create resilience in “The Accelerator Advantage” program article Scaling Female-Led Startups.
What’s the significance of delayed gratification from that era?
In the 60s and 70s, everything from getting a photo developed to waiting for weekly TV shows demanded delayed gratification, which is a critical trait for today’s entrepreneurial success. Patience reduces hasty decision-making and promotes strategic thinking. For more strategies to foster this attribute, check out Essential Startup Skills for Female Founders.
How did simpler times enhance relationships?
The absence of smartphones and constant social media interactions pushed individuals to foster deep, meaningful face-to-face relationships. For modern entrepreneurs, focusing time on nurturing key connections over networking with a wide but shallow net is crucial. Learn how to make meaningful business relationships in Europe’s Female Founder Ecosystems.
Why is intrinsic self-worth an important trait for entrepreneurs?
The 60s and 70s generations didn’t grow up with social media and its constant metrics of likes and follows, meaning their intrinsic self-worth wasn’t tied to external validation. Entrepreneurs can adopt this mindset by valuing authenticity over superficial social approval. This perspective is explored further in The Female Founder Mindset.
How can resilience without over-identifying with struggles benefit entrepreneurs?
People from the 60s and 70s overcame challenges without making trauma their identity, moving forward while processing hardships privately. Modern entrepreneurs can benefit greatly from a shift to solution-focused problem-solving. This mindset is explored, including actionable advice, in Top Resilience Strategies for Entrepreneurs.
What role does simplicity play in modern entrepreneurial success?
1960s and 70s households thrived on appreciating small joys and celebrating simplicity. Today's entrepreneurs can leverage gratitude to avoid burnout by focusing on attainable everyday wins. Find actionable examples in Female Founder Resources Europe’s Toolkit.
Why is emotional regulation often better in the older generation?
Growing up with the emotional uncertainties of socio-political upheaval, people from the older generation learned to manage stress and make level-headed decisions under pressure. Entrepreneurs who master emotional regulation lead teams more effectively. For tips on maintaining emotional balance in high-pressure roles, explore The Female Founder Mindset.
How do modern entrepreneurs recreate these rare qualities today?
Implement practices like intentional discomfort exposure, delayed gratification exercises, and face-to-face conflict resolution. Consider programs that provide mentorship and accountability to build and practice these skills effectively. Start your journey with The Accelerator Advantage.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the “gamepreneurship” methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the point of view of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.