Decadal Antimetabole

Key Concepts:

• Boomers born in the 1950s
• Decade Anti-Metaboly
• Circular Shift
• Diametric Pairs
• Base 10 Decade System

Boomers and Decade Anti-Metaboly:

The video begins by noting that the number of boomers in America peaked in 2000. The central focus is on a unique characteristic of boomers born in the 1950s: "decade anti-metaboly." This refers to a pleasing linguistic symmetry where their age in a particular decade mirrors the decade they are in. Examples include being 20 in the 70s and 70 in the 20s, 40 in the 90s and 90 in the 40s, and 10 in the 60s and 60 in the 10s.

Anti-Metaboly Explained:

The video defines anti-metaboly as a figure of speech related to chiasmus, where elements are repeated in reverse order for dramatic effect. Examples of anti-metaboly are provided: "all for one and one for all," "with my mind on my money and my money on my mind," and "ask not what your country can do for you ask what you can do for your country."

Time as a Flat Circle and Circular Shift:

The video explains that the decade anti-metaboly phenomenon occurs because time, specifically decades, operates as a "flat circle." Decades don't simply increase linearly; they cycle back to the beginning. Being born in a specific decade can be viewed as a "circular shift" in a mathematical sense.

Circular Shift and Diametric Pairs:

The video introduces the concept of "diametric pairs" in a circle with an even number of elements. These are pairs of elements separated by the same number of elements on either side. A circular shift that moves the first member of such a pair to the old position of the second will also move the second to the old position of the first, effectively swapping them.

Base 10 Decade System and the 1950s:

The video argues that in our base 10 decade system, being born in the 1950s creates a circular shift that results in the decade anti-metaboly effect. This is why only people born in the 1950s can make statements like "I was 30 in the 80s and I'll be 80 in the 30s."

Conclusion:

The video concludes by reiterating that the unique decade anti-metaboly experienced by those born in the 1950s is a result of the cyclical nature of decades and the mathematical principle of circular shift within a base 10 system.