Gen Z Personalities: What to Expect from the Next Generation

Every generation is shaped by the times they grow up in, and Gen Z (those born roughly between 1997–2012) is no exception. With the internet at their fingertips since childhood, they’re the first truly digital-native generation. Their personalities are a reflection of technology, cultural shifts, economic realities, and a growing awareness of global challenges.

Here are the key Gen Z personality traits and what to expect from them:

1. Digitally Native and Hyper-Connected

Gen Z has never known a world without smartphones, social media, and instant access to information. They’re fluent in technologyj and quick to adapt to new platforms. Expect them to bring efficiency and innovation to digital spaces, but also expect shorter attention spans and a preference for bite-sized, visual content.

2. Independent Thinkers

Growing up with endless access to information, Gen Z tends not to take things at face value. They question authority, fact-check independently, and prefer authenticity over polished narratives. They value self-expression and are less swayed by traditional advertising.

3. Socially and Environmentally Conscious

Climate change, inclusivity, and equality are not abstract concepts for them; they’re lived realities. Gen Z is often vocal about causes they believe in and prefer to support brands, employers, and leaders that align with their values. Expect them to drive conversations on sustainability and ethics in every sphere.

4. Pragmatic Dreamers

Unlike Millennials, who were often labeled as idealistic, Gen Z balances dreams with pragmatism. They want to chase passion but also financial stability. Many are entrepreneurial, experimenting with side hustles and content creation while pursuing education or careers.

5. Value Mental Health and Balance

For Gen Z, mental health is not taboo, it’s a priority. They openly discuss stress, burnout, and self-care. Expect them to push for flexible work, healthier environments, and cultures that prioritize people over productivity.

6. Diverse and Inclusive

Gen Z embraces diversity across race, gender, sexuality, and culture. They believe in representation and equity, and they challenge stereotypes. Expect them to shape institutions, workplaces, and media to be more inclusive than ever before.

7. Community-Oriented but Individualistic

While highly individualistic in terms of personal choices and identity, Gen Z thrives on online communities and collective movements. From fandoms to activism hashtags, they create belonging in digital spaces. Expect them to blur the line between personal and community-driven action.

8. Creative and Entrepreneurial

They are not afraid to monetize hobbies, whether through YouTube, Instagram, or startups. Gen Z is redefining what “career” means, often preferring passion projects, freelancing, or gig work over traditional 9-to-5 jobs.

9. Adaptive Yet Restless

Having lived through rapid technological and cultural change, Gen Z is adaptable. But with that adaptability comes restlessness, they are quick to move on if something doesn’t serve their growth, whether that’s a job, brand, or relationship.

10. Global Citizens

Exposed to global issues and cultures online, Gen Z often thinks beyond borders. Their humor, aesthetics, and even slang are shared across continents. Expect them to build bridges and influence global culture in ways no previous generation has.

What to Expect Going Forward

Gen Z is not just the future, they’re already shaping the present. Whether as consumers, employees, creators, or leaders, they bring new expectations: authenticity, purpose, inclusivity, and balance. To work with, lead, or market to Gen Z means meeting them where they are, online, informed, and ready to question the status quo.

The Hardest Path

The road keeps on winding, with billboards in the sky, Voices in the market, all selling the same lie. 

I carry my questions like stones in my hand, Searching for the true self in a shadow-worn land. 

The neon lights are burning, they call me to the show, Promising the riches of things I’ll never know. 

But every coin I gather just slips through my veins, Like rivers of desire running circles in chains. 

I want to do right, I want to do well, But the hunger inside is a prisoned hotel. 

Every room I wander has a mirror on the wall, It shows me my reflection, but it don’t show me at all. 

So I’ll climb up the mountain where the silence is real, Strip away the layers, let the spirit heal. 

For the world is a whisper, and the heart is the drum, And the path to self-knowing is the hardest one. 

Push past the hunger, the clutter, the cries, Push past the longing for glittering skies. 

There’s a light in the marrow, a fire in the bone, That sings of becoming, of finally going home.

Ozzy Osbourne- The Soundtrack to a Life Lived Loud

 Ozzy Osbourne- The Soundtrack to a Life Lived Loud

Some artists don’t just sing songs, they score your life. Their music becomes more than background noise. It becomes the emotional compass guiding you through nights, chaotic times, awkward firsts, and wins. For me and my friends, one of the constants has been Ozzy.

Ozzy isn’t just a rock icon; he’s a companion, his voice, his energy, and his chaos have always matched some part of our inner world. And over the years, as we moved through the many phases of life, there was always a track that felt like it had been written just for us. Ozzy didn't just grow old with the times, he aged alongside our evolution.

Also a time when Purple Haze was our den. A dimly lit dive where time didn’t matter and rules felt optional. Me and my friends would crash there with pitchers of beer, long hair, black tshirt, and zero agenda, just pure, loud, unapologetic metal. We'd headbang till our necks ached, air-guitar solos like we were on stage, and scream lyrics till we lose our voice
. it was therapy, rebellion, and brotherhood all rolled into one unforgettable haze.

1. The Quiet Teen “Road to Nowhere”

Early teens, I was quiet, introspective, unsure of my place in the world. I didn’t talk much, but my head was full of awkwardness. That’s when I discovered “Road to Nowhere.”

The title itself spoke volumes. It mirrored my sense of wandering, the internal confusion of adolescence, the yearning to find something, anything, that felt like fitting in. Ozzy’s haunting vocals and the bittersweet tone gave language to my solitude. The line “I guess I’ll always have to be living in a fantasy” wasn’t just poetic, it felt personal.

2. The Rebellious Teen “Crazy Train”

Then came the rebellion, the world felt unfair, rules felt stupid, and authority was the enemy. Cue “Crazy Train.”

It wasn’t just a song, it was a battle cry. The opening riff could light your veins on fire. It was the soundtrack to skipping class, questioning norms, and believing the world needed to change, and maybe you were the one to change it.

Every time we blasted that track, it felt like we were standing up for something, even if I didn’t know exactly what it was yet.

3. The Confident Adult “I Don’t Wanna Stop”

The confusion gave way to confidence. I had a sense of swagger, and ambition. I was out in the world,, not asking for permission.

“I Don’t Wanna Stop” is the anthem. Loud, defiant, relentless. It wasn’t just about music, it was about motion. It reminded me that the hunger to move, to create, to live with urgency was not just allowed, it was necessary.

4. The Comfortable Adult  “No More Tears”

These were the years where the edge smoothed out. I had tasted wins, felt the weight of responsibility, and begun to understand that life is less about battles and more about balance.

“No More Tears” hit home. It had depth. Pain. Redemption. It echoed the complexities of adulthood, the emotional maturity, the acceptance of past mistakes, and the choice to live with open eyes.

It wasn't just about moving forward. It was about healing, forgiving, and owning the scars.

5. The Wise Adult  “Dreamer”

Reflection became more important than rebellion. Wisdom meant understanding that the world is imperfect, and yet, we keep hoping. Keep dreaming.

“Dreamer” is Ozzy at his most human. It’s vulnerable and poignant. Every lyric feels like a mirror to the soul of someone who’s seen chaos, tried to tame it, and still believes in beauty. It became the anthem of a gentler kind of courage, the kind that doesn’t need noise to be heard.

6. The Present: Retro Heavy Metal & Nostalgic Echoes

Now, when I hear Ozzy (which is much lesser tha before) it’s more than music. It’s time travel.

A random shuffle of “Bark at the Moon” or “Mr. Crowley” sends me back to moments I’d forgotten: a late-night drive, a heartbreak, a win I never celebrated. It’s a strange, beautiful thing, how songs can store pieces of your life like an emotional time capsule.

In a world where everything changes, Ozzy Osbourne remains a constant. His evolution as an artist has matched my own journey as a person. 

Some Artists Are Just Meant to Stay

We all have artists like that, ones who don’t fade with the trends but get inked into your DNA. They help you understand your past, survive your present, and imagine your future.

Ozzy was ours.

Some legends stay loud.

Rest in Power, Ozzy.

 A Curious Case of Roles Reversed - Rishi Sunak Joins Goldman Sachs as Advisor:

The internet did what it does best when the news broke: memes flew fast. Rishi Sunak photoshopped into a Goldman Sachs hoodie, mock job listings for “Part-Time MP, Full-Time Banker,” and even a mashup of The Wolf of Downing Street. It was classic online satire, but behind the jokes lay a surprising silence. Despite the absurdity of a sitting MP (and former Prime Minister, no less) taking an advisory role at one of the most powerful investment banks in the world, public debate has been oddly muted. For a political class that is usually scrutinised for much less, this development seems to be sliding under the radar.

Revolving Door  in Reverse

Traditionally, the "revolving door" metaphor describes corporate leaders transitioning into government roles , bringing “real-world experience” to policy-making. What makes Sunak’s move so curious is the inversion: a high-ranking public servant diving deeper into the world of global finance, while still in office. It’s not just post-politics, it’s mid-politics.

Sunak, once lauded as the nation’s steward through a pandemic and economic crisis, is now advising Goldman Sachs, an institution often dubbed “Government Sachs” for its uncanny ability to place alumni in powerful regulatory and political positions across the globe.

Serving Two Masters?

Naturally, this raises the question: Can someone serve both Parliament and a profit-driven Wall Street titan without conflicting interests?

Even if Sunak sticks to every letter of parliamentary ethics, the symbolism is rich , and troubling. The man elected to represent constituents is now moonlighting with a firm that represents the interests of multi-billion-dollar clients. The optics are difficult to ignore: an MP being paid (handsomely, one can assume) to advise an institution whose concerns lie far from the cost-of-living crisis or public services.

It's also worth noting that we usually see the private sector injecting talent into government. But this move feels less like talent exchange and more like talent extraction, from public service to private gain.

What’s the Intention?

Sunak’s career arc has always blended finance and politics. Before his time at No. 11 and No. 10 Downing Street, he worked at hedge funds and earned his MBA at Stanford, deep in Silicon Valley's ideological mix of capitalism and innovation.

So, what’s the play here?

1. Reputation Reboot: Having lost his political crown, this role could be about remaining globally relevant, a soft power pivot that positions him well for whatever comes next.
   
   

2. Financial Fluency: Goldman gains access to someone who knows the inner workings of UK and global policy. Sunak, in turn, gets insider visibility into how elite capital is thinking, a feedback loop of power.
   
   

3. Serving the 1%: Critics argue this merely confirms what many suspected that Sunak’s deepest loyalties lie with the global financial elite, not the average British voter.
   
   

The Silence Is the Statement

What's striking isn’t just the move, it's the lack of outrage. Imagine the reaction if a Labour MP had done something remotely similar. Or if a corporate lobbyist had announced a consulting gig in the middle of a general election campaign. Instead, with Sunak, there's a collective shrug, as if we've come to expect this kind of revolving-door fluidity from those at the top.

Perhaps it’s fatigue. Perhaps it’s the normalization of elite crossover between public and private power. Or perhaps, as the memes suggest, we’ve entered a post-irony political era where satire and reality are nearly indistinguishable.

Rishi Sunak’s advisory role at Goldman Sachs is more than just a career move,  it’s a symbol of how the boundaries between public duty and private interest continue to blur. In the world of modern leadership, it’s increasingly hard to tell where Westminster ends and Wall Street begins.

And maybe that's the biggest irony of all.

Being Seen - Listening to the Northeast Beyond the Headlines

I’ve never faced discrimination for being from the Northeast. Personally, my time outside the region has been warm, respectful, even uneventful. But I’ve heard enough stories to know that my experience is not the norm. 

When the recent incident in Sohra, Meghalaya…. initially misreported and widely

misunderstood….spiraled into a frenzy of judgment and stereotype, it felt like déjà vu. It wasn’t just a crime; it was an invitation for the country to project its oldest prejudices onto a place it still doesn’t fully understand. That’s the deeper issue. The Northeast is often seen away from mainstream, but as something adjacent to it….romantic when convenient, threatening when not. Exotic when we’re winning medals or topping music charts, tribal when something goes wrong. And yet, we continue to show up with empathy, openness, and integrity. 

People in the Northeast are not just defending their identity….they are creating, teaching, building, writing, singing, and innovating. We are rewriting the script ourselves, one quiet act at a time. But real change also requires the rest of the country to meet us halfway. 

 To my non-Northeastern friends who’ve taken time to listen, question, and learn….thank you. Your curiosity and solidarity matter. You’ve helped shift perspectives in spaces we often don’t have access to. This is what allies looks like - not loud gestures, but steady understanding. 

 True integration isn’t about how fast a train/flight gets to Guwahati. It’s about who gets to shape the narrative. It’s about being seen in full….not just when convenient, not just in crisis. 

 So if you visit the Northeast, come with an open mind. Not just to see the landscape, but to engage with the people. Learn from how people live, how we hold space for each other, how we carry culture with both lightness and pride. 

In a country as diverse as ours, empathy is the only real infrastructure that matters. Everything else is just roads.

Work-Life Balance: A Personal Perspective

Having spent years navigating the corporate world and now diving headfirst into multiple projects and experiments, one thing has become increasingly clear to me: Work-life balance is not about the number of hours you work versus the time you spend on leisure. It’s about control....control of your time and how you choose to spend it In my corporate days, I often found myself caught up in a rigid routine. The so-called work-life balance was nothing more than an attempt to compartmentalize work and personal life. But the reality was that the line between the two remained blurred. Now, hustling through various projects and pushing the boundaries of what I can achieve, I am probably working more than ever before. Yet, I feel more balanced because I have control over my time and how I approach tasks. One key lesson I’ve learned is that micromanagement kills balance. When you delegate a task to someone and dictate exactly how it should be done and by when, it not only stifles creativity but also creates an unnecessary sense of pressure. On the other hand, when you delegate an outcome and let people figure out their way of achieving it, they feel more empowered and balanced. It’s less about giving instructions and more about setting expectations and trusting people to deliver. Consider the people who seem to be working all the time yet manage to integrate everything seamlessly. They might be replying to emails at odd hours, taking calls during a family outing, or brainstorming during a workout. But they don’t feel out of balance because they have integrated work into their lives in a way that doesn’t feel forced or unnatural. Work-life balance is not about rigid schedules or dividing your day into chunks of work and play. It’s about owning your time, creating flexibility, and fostering an environment where productivity doesn’t come at the cost of well-being. It’s about letting go of the obsession with balance itself and focusing on integrating work into your life in a way that feels natural. As I continue to explore new ventures and juggle multiple responsibilities, I realize that balance is not a destination but a state of mind. It’s not about how much time you spend working or not working.....it’s about feeling in control of your choices and being intentional with your time. That’s the real essence of work-life balance for me.

Letter To Myself - 1

Right now, you think you have time. You believe life is a straight road….success, happiness, and meaning waiting for you in the future, as if they are milestones you will naturally reach. But that road is not endless. One day, you will stop looking ahead and realize you’re already standing there. And when that moment comes, you will see that the things you once chased no longer hold the same meaning. The security, the recognition, the achievements….they won’t feel as important anymore. The question will no longer be about what’s next, but who you are. Iba introduced me to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and it makes so much sense. In the beginning, you chase security, stability, and belonging. You work hard to build a solid foundation….because survival and external validation seem like the most important things. And that’s necessary. But once the foundation is built, then what? This is when a shift happens. You begin to look inward. What once drove you no longer does. Success starts to feel less about what you have and more about who you truly are. Maslow says this stage looks different for everyone. Some change their work to align with their values. Others focus on creativity or personal growth rather than external rewards. It’s a shift from seeking achievement to seeking meaning. The truth is, most people never venture into this journey of self-awareness. They stay where it feels safe. But for those who do, life becomes about something deeper….fulfillment. Midlife isn’t a crisis. It’s an awakening. If you feel restless, it’s not a problem to fix….it’s a calling to step into your full self, to embrace not just the version of you that the world sees, but the one you’ve hidden. And so, as I step into this journey of self-actualization, I’ll let you know what I find. But for now, I’ll leave you with this: the things you are chasing now? They are just the beginning. What truly matters is yet to come.