In the movie "The Big Lebowski" there is a character which seems to have captivated the hearts of millenials. Part of the reason is that most people wish to be like him but very few can. We care too much about what other people say, what we eat, what we see. We are too anxious and we can't help but take ourselves too seriously. We are perfectionists and this is killing us inside.
Life is simple and this is rather easier said than done. But really, life is simple if one sticks to the basics and stops overthinking it. Most people feel paralyzed by the unlimited options offered around them and thus they remain undecided. Over abundance has become an anxiety agent that we inject ourselves on a daily basis. This makes every decision seem impossible to make since choices are so close to one another.
This of course also creates dread and pessimism that leads to crippling depression and of course idealisation of pop culture figures like "the dude". This guy, in the midst of all trouble seems to have figured it all out. Life for some reason comes to unfold on its own, and however shitty something might be, everything seems to fall back into place. Doing nothing proves to have a better effect than actually taking action.
On the other hand, sitting and doing nothing also creates a culture of dependency and privilege. We wait for everything to fall onto our laps without us batting an eye. And this pretty much explains our culture. Anxious, apathetic, paralyzed and overwhelmed by options. And "the dude", our only hope. A modern Jesus for us all — but in much the same way — very few can follow the chosen one's path.