Originally Posted by MS Fowler

Its just a natural cycle.
IMO, the Greatest Generation was the GG exactly because of the adversity they had to overcome. Like all good parents, they wanted better for their children, and tried to shield them from adversity. As a result they next generation became self-obsessed, and self-centered.

If you pay attention to biblical history, you see the same sort of pattern. A generation grows up and rebels against God, he judges them, and brings adversity into their lives. They repent, God blesses, and the next generation rebels. repeat.