00:00:06 Archita: There's a lot of conversation about what the younger generation is losing attention, patience, depth. But what if we paused and asked a different question? What if this generation is carrying something forward that we haven't fully learned to recognize yet? Today we are exploring what's quietly positive about the younger generation and what that might be teaching all of us. Welcome

00:00:33 Archita: to Inner Light, a space where we slow down and explore purpose, awareness and what it means to live with clarity in a changing world. Today I am joined by Kian Sahni, founder and CEO of independent, someonex who has spent years bridging technology, humanity and care in deeply practical ways. Together, we are reflecting on what's genuinely hopeful about the younger generation compared to older generations, and how those shifts may be guiding us towards a more conscious future. So Kian, welcome to Inner Light. It's a pleasure to have you here today.

00:01:12 Kian Saneii: Thanks very much. It's great to be with you. How are you?

00:01:16 Archita: I am great and I can't wait to, you know, dive into this conversation with you because I think it's it's a very important topic. And I think we need to talk about this. So, um, Kian, before we compare generations, I'm curious when you spend time with younger people today, what's something you notice in them that feels different at an energetic or emotional level?

00:01:43 Kian Saneii: Uh, you know, I think overall, uh, to some extent, if I'm empathetic around what a younger person would, would feel and hope for in today's world versus my experience as I grew up. I think there's some challenges and opportunities. I think, uh, the hopefulness of the world after World War Two was something that carried on now for many decades. Of course, there's always atrocities and issues and skirmishes and everything else around the planet, but I think there was a general sense of building and that as a young person, if you did certain things, you had a better life, whether you're in the West or the East. Um, you really, uh, almost determined your own future based on your own efforts? I think younger folks today have to deal with certain things that we didn't have to deal with back then, climate change being a major issue, that if I'm young today, I look at this and say, wow, the world that I'm going to inherit and live in is going to be vastly different. And I'm already seeing the beginnings of that. And it's nothing to write home about. Nothing exciting. Also, you see the tensions and you see the political issues and and you look at that and you say, wow, um, was it always like this? I think on the second side. Um, yeah. But when you were kids in the nineteen fifties, you had to kind of go under your desk at school because you had nuclear drills, as though, like that would somehow save you if there was a global annihilation that went on. So those types of fears probably have always been around, but just having the planet in the condition that it's in as a young person, plus the economic impact of what's going on. I think it's challenging for young people and I definitely empathize with that.

00:03:34 Archita: Mm. That makes so much sense. I mean, what a great time to be alive, right? With that. Um, yeah. That also makes me wonder, uh, what do you think, uh, is it is it easier for younger people nowadays, like, uh, so many, um, I mean, elders, they tend to tell us, remind us every day that you guys have, you know, uh, it's so much easier than we did in our time. So what do you think? Do you agree with this?

00:04:04 Kian Saneii: I think I think it's both. And you made the point. What a great time to be alive. I do believe that as well. Even though we talked about the challenges, um, things like access to information, uh, is essentially unlimited at this point, and a younger person takes that for granted, potentially. But when you think about it, if you just go not too long ago, forget about fifty years, maybe one hundred years, let alone a few hundred years. If you wanted to get any kind of knowledge, any kind of access to information, you'd have to probably travel for quite some distances, maybe to different countries, to find an expert to study under. You go back a little bit further. You'd have to like go to Alexandria or some library somewhere. You go back to the invention of the printing press. You had all these monks that were up in arms because they felt society shouldn't be allowed to read. It's not good for people to be able to learn how to read. So technology over time has always been, you know, perceived as not a great change by some people. And overall it's always been super helpful. I think overall, and I think for young folks today, having, uh, the level of technology that we do and the same technology may eventually help and if not completely address climate change, it may address things like longevity and our ability not just to increase our lifespan, but our health span, our quality of life as we can age further. Um, and all these things are very, very positive for a younger, um, individual today. And now, of course, everything around AI could be challenging in terms of the economics for society and lots of jobs being affected, but it also could be extremely beneficial in other ways, especially if if you, um, endorse that wave and you become an expert at it and you leverage it in ways where you could sit down and maybe code an entire program yourself, you don't even need coding. Or you could sit down and and do research about a whole market that you may want to address. You know, without having five MBAs, you know, that you have to pay to go do that. So I think that there's a lot of, um, benefits as well, always with new technologies and the new times that we have.

00:06:19 Archita: No, I definitely agree. I mean, in, in, in these terms, I think we do have it a lot easier in terms of accessibility technology. Yes, it's true. But also on the other hand, there are so many things happening around the world right now that, you know, it's all so scary. And climate change, like you just said, it's it's yeah, it's it is scary for us. But again, everything has its own pros and cons. So I think it balances it out. But um, yeah, that that also makes me curious that, you know, there is a common narrative that younger generations are disengaged or entitled. But I'm curious, what do you think that, uh, story gets wrong?

00:07:05 Kian Saneii: Um, I think I think maybe, uh, the word entitled is maybe a symptom, um, of being disengaged. And the disengagement itself is probably a symptom of being maybe less hopeful, and being less hopeful is probably a symptom of what they see along the lines that we talked about. So, you know, things like if I, if I look at, um, the fact that in the US, for instance, the younger generation, for the first time in many, many, many decades has, um, less of an economic opportunity than their parents. And um, and, uh, the, the lifespan numbers have come down for the first time in many, many, many decades. Some of that has to do with Covid, but other things as well. Um, so at the end of the day, I just want to share a few things that to me, I think are super helpful. Uh, one is no matter what problems any one of us have, whether we're young or old, when you really put it in perspective of anyone's biggest problems on our our dreams. For someone who's laying in a hospital bed. So when you when you apply that to any challenge that you're facing, either individually or as a team. It really makes makes life a lot more. Both, uh, reasonable and also enjoyable. The other thing is the the quote that some of us may have heard along the lines of Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. I think that's a huge opportunity for any age person, young or old, to see what they can do. And if they are, um, if they're interested in things, whether it's politics or lifespan or healthspan or, um, overall health, whether interested in the environment, etc., what can they do about it? And if they can do something about it to go down that path, and if there's nothing you could do about it, potentially, let's say in terms of, uh, maybe challenges in the climate, maybe at a big scale or challenges in war in a big scale, then if you can't do anything about it, just know the difference and the wisdom to have that knowledge and then focus on the things you can change. I think that's a really helpful and healthy attitude and and gives you positivity and gives you meaning in life. And then lastly is a simple word of gratitude. So if you can be grateful for things then it's it's hard to have a difficult life because there's always something to be grateful for, which is even as simple as having a breath that you take and you give back and you wake up in the morning and so forth, and, and, um, and to add a bit of, uh, meaning to all that, I think it's all about love. Anyway, so what we do and what we change and not change and the meaning that we have all that is one thing. But, uh, having love and giving love and making a difference in people's lives and, and, uh, and making a difference in the environment and the folks that we engage with is really, really fulfilling no matter what goes on in the big picture. So I think that's where, um, the young folks and old folks can make a big difference and have a higher quality life. And in that model, it's not about being entitled. Right? If you do those things, no one on the outside or yourself internally would feel like, you know, the world is going to hell in a handbasket because your environment ends up being very, very positive and your thoughts are very positive.

00:10:40 Archita: Absolutely. I think you couldn't have explained it in a better way. It sounds like what's often labeled as apathy might actually be discernment, a refusal to accept systems that no longer aligns. So let's let's stay with that for a moment. Um, Jen, what do you think shaped this generation to question norms more openly than older ones?

00:11:07 Kian Saneii: Uh, I'm not sure they're questioning norms more openly than older ones. You know, there was a whole movement, for instance, um, during the sixties against the Vietnam War, and that generation questioned norms in a big way as well, and made a big difference in things. I think young individuals generally have maybe more of a idealistic lens to the world, which is very positive and energetic for me. And in that model, they get to see, like you said, the norms and the systems and say, well, wait a second, this doesn't make sense this way or that way. Um, and so I think the challenge, the difference today is there's really much more to question and much more to be challenged by, uh, than probably, uh, in the sixties or 70s and so forth. There's big events that define each one of these decades, uh, both positive and negative. But right now, there's ongoing things like we talked about and touched on that. I think a younger individual just has to deal with that on a constant basis. And so I think, um, I think the fact that they're true to that, and I think the fact that they, um, Um, that they resist. Like you said, the systems that to them clearly don't make sense. And frankly, I would say to any sane person, certain things that are going on don't make any sense when we think about it. So I commend them. And I think, uh, you know, maybe, maybe our species needs more folks that think that way and act that way. And, and most importantly, really do things that help along those along those lines.

00:12:41 Archita: That's that's definitely true. Uh, and indeed, I mean, the, the older generation, even they have, um, spoken about so many things that maybe our generation can never speak about. So that's that's true. But also instead of, uh, inheriting certainty, our generation inherited complexity and learn to navigate it in real time. So. Yeah. But, Qian, how do you see this difference showing up in everyday choices, work relationships or even how they define success.

00:13:18 Kian Saneii: I think, um, I think what what has happened is, um, there was a, there was an attitude that was sold in effect through great marketing to individuals around, um, the accumulation of whether it's wealth or just things, things. And, um, and, and I think that's probably gone away that I can see, uh, with the younger generation, I think in, in their case, what they want to accumulate is experiences and moments. I think that's really meaningful for all of us. And so they don't want to have, you know, the three car garage necessarily, instead of the two car or the four car instead of the three car. They don't want to have the mansions or the McMansions necessarily, but they do want to be around each other, create memories, maybe travel together. And I think that's that's an interesting swing of the pendulum, because to a large extent they saw, you know, the parents working, both of them working, both of them really doing, doing, doing, doing, doing. But maybe not as much being, being, being. And so I think the younger folks look at this opportunity as, hey, if it's going to be challenging to go, um, you know, get to the end of that rainbow. From a gold pot standpoint, I can easily create the end of the rainbow in my own mind, in my experiences right now. And I don't need a whole lot of money and four garages to do that. I need good people around me, I need truthfulness, I need camaraderie, I need friendships that are high quality, and I need quality time with people I care about who care about me. I think that's what I see is, um, in a beautiful way, probably more different than in the past.

00:15:06 Archita: That's that's beautiful. And that reframing of success from achievement to alignment. It feels like a quiet but profound shift. So, um, again, for older generations listening, what might it look like to learn from this younger mindset rather than trying to correct it?

00:15:26 Kian Saneii: I think that's probably not anything that happens just right now. I think, uh, you know, uh, when parents were watching their kids swing to Elvis Presley or the Beatles and, you know, that was their challenge was probably blowing their minds that way. Or when the first time somebody was using a calculator instead of a slide rule and, you know, the mathematicians of the day would think, oh, my God, you know, uh, the brains of our kids are going to mush. And who knows, everything is just always relative to past generations. So we're just going through the same thing right now. And my guess is these kids will, you know, tell their kids, well, you know what? There was a day when I had to speak to my computer instead of just think things to it, or, you know, I had to type things once in a while instead of think things to the computer. So everything is relative. So with that as a context, what we can always learn is, I think purity and truthfulness and idealism and, and looking to, um, ask for and do the right things for all of us, um, is a big deal. I think if we understand that humanity as a whole, if one group suffers somewhere, then all of us should suffer, in my view. And if one group group is oppressive somewhere, then all of us should have issues with that. And we can't. We can't put blinders on. Because not only is that not right from an ethical, practical, moral standpoint, it's also not right because it's going to come to us at some level. So even for selfish reasons, we should stand up for everyone's rights, for everyone's freedoms around the world. And that takes a lot of time and energy and takes it takes really interest to be able to stay on top of things. Uh, but I think that's something we can learn from younger individuals where they care about things. I think much more deeply than than somebody potentially, on average, running around, making ends meet in a challenging environment.

00:17:22 Archita: Yeah. And there's there's a humility in that, you know, allowing wisdom to flow upward as well as downward. And I think it's also really important because both of our generations, we need to learn from the other generation. So yeah, I think it takes, um, it will take patience from both of our sides to learn and unlearn things. So, yes. But, um, of course, generational differences can create tension. Uh, but when values clash, what helps keep curiosity alive instead of judgment?

00:18:00 Kian Saneii: Oh, that's a great question. Um, when values crash. What helps keep curiosity alive? Instead of judgment, I think the word for that would be empathy. So if you could be empathetic towards someone else and understand we all do things based on what we think is right and also based on our own past and our own, um, you know, uh, experiences that have led us to become who we are. And if that's the premise for everyone, then it becomes almost a curious challenge, a challenge about curiosity to figure out why does somebody that, uh, in other words, in other situations I respect in every way. But in this situation, I cannot agree with what what goes on. How can I be empathetic? What can I learn from that? And I think that's whether you're, you know, twenty years old or eighty years old. That's a good perspective to have. Because if you have that perspective once in a while, you learn quite a bit. And also you're always around what's true and what's right. Um, and effective versus, you know, um, a cult like devotion to an ideology which is really shutting the door to anything else that might, uh, somehow penetrate your, your beliefs. Right? Because if your beliefs are based on, um, your own determination instead of facts, uh, then then you become very closed and your great question doesn't even apply.

00:19:38 Archita: That is so true. And also that openness feels like the bridge where understanding replaces resistance. So yeah, I think empathy plays a very important role in that. And, uh, you know, this has been an amazing conversation. I have learned so much from you. And I never realized, uh, you know, how, uh, vast this gap between the two Generation Pause, but also at the same time how similar we were. So thank you for making all of us realize that. And I'm sure our listeners are feeling even more curious about you now. So for listeners who want to follow your work or learn more about your perspective, where's the best place to find you?

00:20:23 Kian Saneii: Um, I guess there's places online or through LinkedIn. You can also go to Independent.com Indépendant, which is our company if you're interested in what we're doing, which is to help primarily older adults, um, achieve independence at whatever resonance they have, whether at home or in senior living, and to be safer and live more comfortably at that residence. Um, what else can I tell you? By the way, I would just make the point that I don't think the gap that we have between generations now is any different than in the past. I think it's a normal gap. I think it's a healthy gap. It's an amusing gap. And it's just, you know, like you said, the great questions that you asked help us put it in perspective and help us learn from each other and move society forward versus have have any kind of, um, uh, conflict or disengagement.

00:21:19 Archita: Well, that's that's really, really great. And I'll also make sure to have all of the details in our show listing so that our listeners can feel free to reach out to you whenever and however they want. And for anyone listening who feels disconnected from younger generations, I invite you to ask yourself what quality in them might be pointing to an evolution I haven't yet embraced. Perhaps the gift of the younger generation is in that they have all the answers, but that they're brave enough to question the ones who have outgrown. So thank you for sharing your presence and insight today, Kian, and to our listeners, may this conversation, invite a little more curiosity, compassion, and trust between generations. Until next time, stay connected to your inner light.