--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We were postwar middle-class white kids…" description: "\"We were postwar middle-class white kids living in the slipstream of the greatest per-capita rise in income in the history of Western civilization; we w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/754/john-lahr-15002_civilization_we-were-postwar-middle-class-white-kids_475765.jpg" --- # We were postwar middle-class white kids living in the… ![“We were postwar middle-class white kids living in the slipstream of the greatest per-capita rise in income in the history of Western civilization; we were 'teen-agers' - a term, coined in 1941, that was in common usage a decade later - a new, recognizable franchise. We had money, mobility, and…” quote by John Lahr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/754/john-lahr-15002_civilization_we-were-postwar-middle-class-white-kids_475765.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/754/john-lahr-15002_civilization_we-were-postwar-middle-class-white-kids_475765.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/754/john-lahr-15002_civilization_we-were-postwar-middle-class-white-kids_475765.jpg) > “We were postwar middle-class white kids living in the slipstream of the greatest per-capita rise in income in the history of Western civilization; we were 'teen-agers' - a term, coined in 1941, that was in common usage a decade later - a new, recognizable franchise. We had money, mobility, and problems all our own.” [John Lahr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lahr/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Post‑war white middle‑class youth experienced unprecedented wealth, mobility, and unique challenges, forming a distinct cultural identity. **In simple terms:** Wealthy white kids grew up with new freedoms and problems. Key Takeaway Recognize how economic booms shape generational attitudes. Themes class wealth identity culture generational change Mood reflective nostalgic Type historical sociological When to use this quote - college life - suburban expansion - consumer culture - social expectations Key Concepts socio‑economic mobility cultural franchise post‑war America Questions to Reflect On - How did this prosperity affect social values? - What pressures did this generation face? A Different Perspective Economic growth can mask underlying social tensions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Income](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/income/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Middle class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-class/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Western](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/western/) [Western civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/western-civilization/) ## Related quotes > [Our teen-agers withdrew to their bedrooms on their thirteenth birthday and didn't show themselves to us again until it was time to get married.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erma-bombeck/our-teen-agers-withdrew-to-their-bedrooms-on-their-thirteenth/) [Erma Bombeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erma-bombeck/) > [It is upsetting to many parents that their teen-agers introduce them to their friends as encyclopedia salesmen who are just passing through ... if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erma-bombeck/it-is-upsetting-to-many-parents-that-their-teen-agers-introduce-them/) [Erma Bombeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erma-bombeck/) > [I directed my music to the teen-agers. 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You get to understand that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lerner/having-a-thirteen-year-old-in-the-family-is-like-having-a-general/) [Max Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lerner/) > [I didn't have high self-esteem when I was a teen-ager, as I think most teen-agers don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alanis-morissette/i-didn-t-have-high-self-esteem-when-i-was-a-teen-ager-as-i-think-most/) [Alanis Morissette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alanis-morissette/) > [To all those mothers and fathers who are struggling with teen-agers, I say, just be patient: even though it looks like you can't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/to-all-those-mothers-and-fathers-who-are-struggling-with-teen-agers-i/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [You once liked the blissful mobility, but then you wonder, who's the real you? And who's the chap on the screen? 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The three currencies are time, income and mobility,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-ferriss/as-far-as-income-goes-there-are-three-currencies-in-the-world-most/) [Tim Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-ferriss/) > [Obama's perverse view of fairness threatens to create reverse incentives, militating against growth, jobs, expansion and upward mobility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-morris/obama-s-perverse-view-of-fairness-threatens-to-create-reverse/) [Dick Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-morris/) ## More by John Lahr > [The British playwright Nina Raine is one of her generation's most promising talents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lahr/the-british-playwright-nina-raine-is-one-of-her-generation-s-most/) [John Lahr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lahr/) > [Broadway shows in New York draw two times the attendance of all New York sports teams put together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lahr/broadway-shows-in-new-york-draw-two-times-the-attendance-of-all-new/) [John Lahr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lahr/) > [The pigeons are shitting on George M. 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I am only interested in magic!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lahr/i-detest-literature-i-abominate-the-theatre-i-have-a-horror-of/) [John Lahr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lahr/) > [Entertainment is not politically neutral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lahr/entertainment-is-not-politically-neutral/) [John Lahr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lahr/) > [In 1957, 'West Side Story' had introduced the musical to the reckless dark side of teen-age life; 'Bye Bye Birdie,' set in Sweet Apple,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lahr/in-1957-west-side-story-had-introduced-the-musical-to-the-reckless/) [John Lahr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lahr/) > [The New Yorker's' drama critics have always had a comparable authority because, for the most part, the magazine made it a practice to employ…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lahr/the-new-yorker-s-drama-critics-have-always-had-a-comparable-authority/) [John Lahr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lahr/) > [I know in an existential sense that life can change on a dime ... something has instantly and inexorably changed in American life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lahr/i-know-in-an-existential-sense-that-life-can-change-on-a-dime/) [John Lahr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lahr/) > [Writers don't always know what they mean - that's why they write. 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