Given the sort of value judgements on this list, one might expect that a boom town will be over-represented with a mix of people who have no fear, nothing to lose, or no strong attachments (a superset of “people who don’t give a shit about anybody else”).
Some of those traits are maladaptive for long term stability of the town and its industries. Now I wonder how this feeds into the boom/bust trope...
Isn’t it pretty normal to have “no fear, nothing to lose, and no strong attachments” as a fresh college graduate? Those are more phases of life than character traits. Graduate, explore, slowly put down roots, then stay rooted until your own children leave the nest and start to do the same.
No, it is normal for graduates with rich parents as a safety net to play act these traits. I think the comment mean actually having no fear, nothing to lose and no strong attachments.
Is having a 22-year-old living at home any more expensive than having a 17-year-old? Presumably their bed is still there, the marginal cost of an extra portion in each recipe was already accounted for, and they don’t outgrow clothes as quickly. The safety net of moving back in with mom and dad does not require mom and dad to be rich.
Some of those traits are maladaptive for long term stability of the town and its industries. Now I wonder how this feeds into the boom/bust trope...