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For you old folks!

Kwesi

Kwesi

Sep 19, 2007
8,150
161
35
USA; Mitchellville, Maryland
#1
If you, at any point, have ever thought "Man, I'm getting old!" then this thread is aimed at you!

I always hear from the older crowd that young folks don't know anything, they haven't lived long enough, they don't have enough life experience, and that we don't have much authority to talk about certain topics. My question is are there older guys n' gals out there that haven't noticed much of a change in their own attitude since they were in their late teens and early 20s? Do you feel the same about stuff in general as you did before or is your outlook on life significantly different? I think most of us kids would like to believe that we won't change but I rarely seem to hear from people who don't think they have over the years.

Just a question from a young guy who doesn't know anything :p.
 
#4
Yes and no. Mentally, I've found that when you get older it's a bit like a tree's growth rings. Everything that was there before is still there - inside me at 41 is still me at 30 and me at 20 and me at 12, and...

Some folks stop listening to the younger parts of themselves, and that's sad. The folks who manage to stay in touch with their younger selves still change, but they don't dry up. You do learn stuff and grow and a lot of things that were once fun become "been there, done that, give me new challenges please".

Physically, you basically run out of "get out of jail free" cards at some point in your late 20s to mid-30s. Everything you could get away with - drinking too much on school nights, not exercising, eating crap - starts to charge the full price. Everything's still possible, but words like "moderation" and "planning" start to be more and more important.

Hmm ... bit of a ramble. Summary: yes, you'll change, but whether you keep a young attitude alongside your old experience is up to you.

edit: Think for a moment ... how much have you learned in the last ten years? Do you believe that the next ten have any less to teach you?
 
#5
It's a mixture of both for me. Some things I would answer the same today at 39 as when I was 19.

I don't think the younger crowd is stupid, they just lack the perspective that 30 or 40 years of life gives you. I get a chuckle sometimes when you younger folks start dishing out relationship or financial advice. Not because it is stupid, but it clearly lacks long term vision.

I do know this for fact....the woman I married at 25 years old is not the same woman I was looking for when I was 18. I am SO glad I waited a few extra years to get married.

-Mike
 
#6
I always felt "old" when I was young. At gigs when I was a teenager (drinking's legal here at 18 btw), I was always the one on stage tearing down my gear, sometimes even the drumkit, while my bandmates would be hanging out and drinking. I usually did most of the driving when we toured, did all the accounting, etc.

So, now that I'm approaching 40, I finally feel like I might be feeling my age!
 
#9
I've never been one to say that young people don't know anything. I'm 60 now. People tell me that I look a lot younger than that. Inside, I still FEEL like a younger man; but my body is definitely deteriorating. I ache a lot now; bad knees; etc..

But I frequently turn to young folks for technology questions. I'm admittedly a dinosaur in that department; and I'm frequently amazed by some of the talents of young folks.

That said, I do feel that as we age, we develop a certain amount of wisdom in all-around areas. I think it's inevitable. But regardless of age, we all have something to contribute if we're open enough to listen, observe, and accept it graciously.
 
#10
MJ5150 said:
It's a mixture of both for me. Some things I would answer the same today at 39 as when I was 19.

I don't think the younger crowd is stupid, they just lack the perspective that 30 or 40 years of life gives you. I get a chuckle sometimes when you younger folks start dishing out relationship or financial advice. Not because it is stupid, but it clearly lacks long term vision.

I do know this for fact....the woman I married at 25 years old is not the same woman I was looking for when I was 18. I am SO glad I waited a few extra years to get married.

-Mike
Click to expand...

Kwesi...this is essentially right for me too. I'm 46, and a lot of things look very different than they did when I was 19. That doesn't mean you, or any other young folks, are "stupid". It just means your experiences are different. You seem like quite a bright young man to me. When you're my age, inside, some of you feels just like you did when you were younger, but your reactions to situations will usually be different. That's the thing about experiences....there's no way to gain them other than to go through them. I'm not trying to be the wise old guy at all, because I'm probably still dumb as a post about most things! I welcome your contributions and ideas. Just because you're young, doesn't mean your wrong. It means you're looking at things from a different perspective.
 
#14
the older i get, the more i can see other viepoints besides my own, and the more i can see how little i used to know. other than that, i think i'm still just as immature as i ever was.
 
#15
JimmyM said:
the older i get, the more i can see other viepoints besides my own, and the more i can see how little i used to know. other than that, i think i'm still just as immature as i ever was.
Click to expand...

This pretty much fits me to a tee. Every time I look back I see how little I actually did know. My principles are pretty much still the same, and I do NOT feel as old as I thought it was when I was younger...
 
#16
My attitude has changed. Some of the things that used to be important to me aren't as important anymore. It's like when I was a kid I liked Hot Wheels. I still think they're cool but I don't want to get done on my hands and knees and play with them anymore. As far as how I feel inside, I still have the mentality of an 18 year old.
 
#17
I'm still as annoyingly immature as I was in my 20s. I'm54 now.
But I don't disrespect younger people. There are some really smart younger folks out there. And I've noticed that despite some good intentions, my generation didn't save the world.
OK, I don't respect SOME of today's music. But I like people. Age isn't an issue.
 
#19
I tend to be more of a straight arrow now, I do not lie anymore, because lying is what you do to your mom & pop. At 58, I pay for my coffee at work while the younger guys still steal. I like to surround myself with people who are the best at what they do, and I always remember to "Give to Caesar what is his". And only now do I believe that honesty is the best policy, because it is impossible to remember all those lies. Have learned in a gentleman's world, calmer heads will always prevail. And yes for you youngsters, there is such a thing as karma. The good you do will come back to, and the bad will come back to you also.
 
#20
I'm 25, but I have 2 Kids, own [paying a mortgage] a house, and was married. I feel older than the hills. I feel like its given me tons of life experience and has definitely changed, updated, and/or modified my outlook on tons of things in life.

as weird as it sounds I'd like to echo Unclefluffy, Doc Cheese, and JimmyM's thoughts although maybe not to the degree and level of experience they have with them... if that makes sense.
 

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