Many young people doubt that their dreams for the good life could ever come true.

Scarce jobs, fewer promotions, soaring costs for shelter and other necessities—all are causing the nation’s young to revamp their dreams for the good life. Many of the nation’s young people are convinced that, despite the economy’s steady climb out of recession, they will get only a tiny share of the spreading prosperity or nothing at all.

Consider three major recent California earthquakes: Loma Prieta in 1989, with a 6.9 magnitude, Northridge in 1994, with a 6.7 magnitude, and San Simeon/Paso Robles on December 22, 2003, with a 6.5 magnitude. These relatively strong earthquakes in California resulted in a total of 125 deaths, while this week’s Iranian quake, with a somewhat lesser magnitude, claimed 40,000 lives.