The Maddening Mind: Soap

The other day, I stumbled across a post on X raving about some old show called Generations. No, I haven’t watched it – my TV diet is strictly memes and reruns of shows I pretend to understand.

But the name got me thinking: isn’t life just one big, messy soap opera starring different generations? Cue the dramatic music, because our workplace is serving Generations in 3D, complete with clashing egos, petty grudges and enough chaos to make a reality TV producer blush.

For this episode of The Maddening Mind, let’s meet our cast: X, Y, and Z.

No, not the actual generations. Think of them as personality types loosely inspired by Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z.
X is the crusty veteran, Y is the smug young hotshot, and Z is the sparkly-eyed chaos agent.

First up, X.

Oh, X. This is the kind of old that doesn’t just creak in the joints, it creaks in the soul. We’re not talking wrinkles or gray hair; we’re talking a mindset so rigid it could double as a steel beam.

X is the person who’d rather arm-wrestle a hurricane than change their mind. Friend, foe, rain, shine—it’s their way or the highway… straight into the fiery pits of hell.

X firmly believes no one younger than them deserves a senior position. If a young whippersnapper is higher up the ladder? Clearly, they’ve pulled some shady, Sodom-and-Gomorrah-level nonsense to get there. And if it’s a woman? Oh, honey, X is out here writing a biblical fanfic about their sins.

A woman? Aje?

Here’s the kicker: X has a bone to pick with Y, but Z? Z gets a free pass. Why? Because X is low-key jealous of Y.
See, Y represents everything X secretly wanted to be. Y grew up with gentle parenting, affirmations and a world that said, “You can be anything!”—then actually meant it.

Y’s life is like a cushy safety net woven from societal progress and avocado toast. X, meanwhile, clawed their way through a world of rotary phones and “suck it up” parenting. So, naturally, X blames Y for having it “too easy.”
The maddening mind of X is a stew of resentment, simmering just below the surface.

Now, Y? Y doesn’t give two cents about X’s grudge. Y’s too busy sipping oat milk lattes, eating chia seeds pudding and doing aerial yoga while updating Insta with a mix of work and pleasure content. X’s rants slide off Y like water off a nonstick pan.

But here’s where it gets spicy: Y also doesn’t care about Z. In fact, Y loves that Z is out there stirring the pot, causing all sorts of glorious mayhem.

Why? Because when Z lights a fire, say, organizing a maandamano that shuts down the city, Y gets to kick back with a day off work and zero guilt. Z’s chaos is Y’s vacation. Sneaky, right?

As expected, Z is the star of this generational soap opera. Z walks into the room with a shine in their eyes, a mix of hope, defiance and just a pinch of “watch me burn this place down” energy.

Z doesn’t just push buttons; they mash the entire control panel. They’re the ones who’ll question a 20-year-old policy in a meeting, then post a TikTok about it before lunch.

And while X is fuming and Y is chilling, Z’s out here dreaming of a future where the coffee machine doesn’t take 10 minutes to brew a cup.

So, what’s the deal with this generational clash?

It’s the maddening mind at work, folks. Our brains, shrunk by evolution and wired for chaos, keep us locked in this absurd dance of envy, apathy and rebellion. X’s stubbornness, Y’s smugness, and Z’s sparkly defiance? They’re all just different flavours of the same unhinged human condition.

And honestly, that’s what makes this workplace soap opera so maddeningly entertaining. Now, pass the popcorn. Because as we grow, we turn into the Generation we least admire.