If in previous decades large historic events drew people together and oriented them toward collective action, the recent double trend toward greater choice but less security leads the young to see their lives in more individual terms. Big events collectivize. Little events atomize.

如果说在过去的几十年里，重大的历史事件把人们聚集在一起，使他们朝着集体行动的方向前进，那么，最近的双重趋势——更多的选择，但更少的安全——使年轻人从更个人的角度看待自己的生活。大事件集团化。小事件分裂。