The most important thing to understand is that generational labels are completely arbitrary. Ultimately it doesn't matter where you fall. They can only describe a shared experience but never a common behavior or trait. This confusion and associated purposeful conflation is used for propaganda to sow generational division where none actually exists. Shared experience: the silent generation saw the great depression. True. Shared behavior: the silent generation sold their children because of the great depression. False. Some did but it wasn't a generational behavior.