Communication barrier.

Has anyone else felt like they can't communicate with the previous generation? Folks like your parents, aunts & uncles? Or people who firmly believes in just one way of life?

Both my parents came to the UK with nothing, met here, got married, ran a small business, 15 years later had built a tiny empire...now in their mid 40's (mother) and mid 50's (father), they have retired. Its more or less the same story with all Chinese people and my other blood relatives.

Now that their children (myself included) are in our early to late 20's, they keep saying having a job is important! Job this! Job that! And frankly I am sick of this because I have seen something that they have missed!!

If YOU have a job, that is your ONLY source of income. If one day your job goes, so does your income and you're on the hunt to find another.

I was one of those kids who without choice worked in the family business. Week in, week out, year in, year out. The year was 2008, I had graduated from University on August 10th, if memory serves correctly, it was two days after the world economy collapsed. Job vacancies, intern-ships, several mid-levelled businesses and even voluntary work positions just went out the door. Weeks later, news of down-sizing, redundancies and jobless-ness were all over the papers...I was still in the family business, working away but hating it.

I am not being a dickhead about this subject but it is honestly how I feel and see it. Jobs are only temporary. By that I mean, there are too many factors that could take that job away from you! You get fired, made redundant, company goes bust, work politics forces you out...(these are only a faction of reasons...I am sure you can think of more)
What if I ran my own business? I can't get fired. I won't be made redundant. I won't need to be pressured by work politics. If my company goes bust and I protected myself properly, I could bounce back within weeks! If I run my own business, not only can I get a salary BUT I can have bonuses when ever I want, assuming business is profiting! Best part is this: I might not even have to be there AND still get my salary and bonuses!!!
I have tried to explain my views and points to my folks, my plans and what I am wanting to build with my own hands as they did! All I got back was: That is UNREALISTIC!!!, YOU can't succeed in that!! What do YOU KNOW about running a business?! YOU should stop dreaming and get a JOB!

The weird thing is, they speak those words to me because THEY fear failure and THEY lack the courage to pick themselves up from failure. I see failure as a lesson, not a mistake but they can't hear what I am saying because in their minds, THEY ARE ALWAYS RIGHT. So, I piss them off, when ever they ask, what you going to do job-wise, I just tell them.

"Nothing, I will claim benefits, a flat and anything else they could give me!" (I have no intentions of doing so mind you! But THIS LINE is the ONLY line they can hear from my mouth! So I play on it!)

You can't do that! That's so unethical, you should get a job to pay for a mortgage...blah blah blah...and the cycle continues! When I run a successful business, I can fund my living! DUH!!! With a job, I work for someone else, making them richer, more free and more successful while I am doing the work!

They refuse my ideas at point blank, tell me anything and everything I do will fail, why should I even bother explaining to them again?

To do something again and again but expecting different results is the definition of stupidity...so I have learned not to talk to them! I need like minded people in my life, I love my blood relatives but talking to them is like being taught facts that aren't facts!