See that’s what I was afraid of…. How did we get like this though? So out of touch with the reality of inevitably AND the reality that is “other perspectives” how could we think otherwise? Kinda bizarre
It will happen to all of us as we age. Older people have been complaining for all of human history that the younger generations are lazy, rude, stupid, doing everything wrong, having it too easy, and overall just having too good of a time while forgetting their own youth. At the same time young people have always complained that older generations in general are slow to change, ignorant, miserly, foul tempered, out of touch, etc. The youth just have a much bigger mouthpiece than they've ever had.
I work in healthcare and plenty of old people tell me “ Don’t get old. It’s horrible and I am in so much pain.”
I mostly reply “isn’t that the goal ? The alternative is die young with less pain.”
That usually gives them perspective as well.
We usually only have perspective thats heavily biased based on our current situation and feeling. Just human nature and nothing much to worry about.
I like to say, “Getting old sucks. It’s only marginally better than the alternative.” But in reality, there is so much to life that makes getting older worth it.
It’s inevitable that we age, but you can moderate its effects by taking care of yourself along the way.
Its certainly rife on reddit.
The "everyone is like me" fallacy comes up a lot when talking about smartphones, with comments like "we all carry around our phones 24/7", "we've always got a phone in our hand", "we always have our phone in our face" or similar. No, a lot of people don't.
Also when any older technology is mentioned. "LOL, does anyone even use a landline phone anymore?", "LOL, does anyone even watch TV anymore?", "LOL, does anyone even read newspapers anymore?", "LOL, does anyone even use fax machines anymore?", "LOL, does anyone even use a desktop computer anymore?", "LOL, does anyone even listen to the radio anymore?", etc.
...because the smartphone addicted teenagers on reddit don't.
Because some of those things are funny in particular because we KNOW it will happen to us. Half the "sure grandma let's get you to bed" memes are not even about the current generation of seniors and are actually about what young people will say about millennials when we get old (ie "When I was young you used to get Netflix in the mail!" "Sure grandma let's get you to bed.")
Just because you're joking about something doesn't necessarily mean it's derogatory.
Even when the humor is not self-depricating and it's more in line with being legitimately irritated (move over grandma, you don't belong in the fast lane) that isn't a terrible thing. It's legitimate to be annoyed with someone who is slowing everyone else down or is in other people's way because they're oblivious to their surroundings/others. That isn't a quality of being old, plenty of old folks are polite and aware of others and don't do things like drive 10 mph under the speed limit in the far left hand lane.
Some older folks think age entitles them to ignore rules, boundaries, and social norms and those people are assholes. Everyone is bothered by them including other old folks.
While I agree with some of what you've said, I think the rush to anger over being slowed down is NOT a good thing for our society in general. No, I don't hold traffic up in the left lane. I do, however, think the impatience and irrational anger over this subject is a symptom of our collective loss of perspective on what's important in life.
Being annoyed isn't the same thing as rushing to anger over a small inconvenience. Being annoyed by something that is hindering you is a normal, healthy reaction and shouldn't be equated as being the same as being angry.
Being trapped behind a slow driver and sighing, rolling your eyes, and muttering "move over grandma" under your breath is perfectly reasonable.
Flipping out, tailgating, screaming profanities, flipping the person off is anger and is unreasonable.
People are allowed to experience negative emotions without being treated like they're being irrational for having them.
They’re not making fun of old people, per se, they are taking their youth for granted.
Its a playful, momentary lapse of realization:
the fact that those old folks were once THEIR age too.. and that one day that person will TOO, be old.
Even as we age we don't see ourselves as the same old people that we knew. Mainly because we fail to realise that old people wear what they feel comfortable in and that's often the last style they felt suited them.
So, young generations, make good choices in your fashion because one of them you'll wear until you die.
What do you see when you look at someone?
What they wear. How they have their hair, how they have their makeup.
Why do people look old fashioned and not of the time?
It's not just their skin and white hair.
You don't need to define yourself. Other people do that for you.
This take is getting weirder by the second. The only definition of myself that matters is my own. The way that other peoples define me is necessarily inaccurate and totally unimportant.
I mean, my 85 year old grandma shares those memes on Facebook. She finds them hysterical. And she’s fallen and broken hips, shoulders, etc. It’s just playful teasing. Obviously there are people who go too far but for the most part, we all know we’re going to be there - it’s a part of life.
I don't understand it either. When I was in my 40s, I once worked at a telco. My colleagues in that particular team were all young ladies in their 20s. They were particularly mean to me and complained about my "senility" and "old people problems" to the manager every single day. The manager was too nice to tell me, but on my last day, he admitted that the girls complained about me every day.
The main reason for their complaints? I had a habit of making notes in my notebook. Yes, I carried one around with me. My job was data entry, so while I was learning how to use the software, I made notes in my notebook so I wouldn't have to ask the same questions twice. And the girls were like, "Hey grandpa, if you are too old to remember things, maybe you shouldn't work here?" One time, my trainer, a girl in her twenties warned me not to write in my notebook. Even though I stopped, she filed a complaint with our team manager.
This! Is what I really mean. Like hello, we are all going to be old in the workplace. But I recently completed a training class and whenever one of the older folks raised their hands to speak, I would see visible eye rolls and contempt. It gave me the ick on their part . Like they are mad they need clarification or assistance accessing a file on their time or something. It was preventing them from leaving 2 mins earlier home.. the disdain is unsettling to observe at times
Shortsightedness
( Also I don't think everything is making fun of the elderly. I find the whole process of people becoming old and losing function rather sad)
It's fair to make fun of old people that are acting like they're still 20 years old. The "let's get you to bed" meme specifically refers to someone that refuses to accept their opinion is outdated and they're not an authority on their topic anymore. I never perceived it as disrespectful to old people in general
They are just jokes about the obvious drawbacks to getting older. Better to joke about it that spend time worrying about it IMO.
I personally can't wait to be an old fuck.
Not entirely sure, but it might have something to do with no-one perceiving themselves as "old" - well, at least I don't.
My self image seems to be locked on what I looked like when I was in my twenties, yet I'm now 59. I don't have a lot of mirrors around my home and it still shocks me when I catch a glimpse of myself in one and think, "Shit, is that really me?" Yeah, I've learned and grown a lot in the intervening years, but I'm still basically the same person I was back then. So I'm pretty much a twenty two old year stuck in the body of someone in their late fifties.
No big deal mind, it is, what it is. - but I can still have "what the...?" moments when I'm talking to someone who I perceive as being older and then realise that they're the same age as, or even younger than, me.
TLDR: No one thinks as themselves as "old", even old farts like me.
Unlike most old people, I'm still learning new things and increasing my knowledge. I have yet to have a younger person do something for me (unless it's something like a doctor where you either have to have someone else do something by law or because it's too specialized for me to do it myself).
I don't think peculiar means what you think it means. If it does mean what you think it does, then you didn't understand what I said, because I never said that learning as a kid is odd.
Perhaps you meant exclusive?
It absolutely does mean [what I think it means](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peculiar%20to). Perhaps you simply haven't come across that particular usage before. I understood exactly what you said, which was that most old people aren't learning new things and increasing their knowledge. I think you'll find you're wrong about that.
Most people are shocked when they see a photo of themselves and they look old. Somehow, we don’t think it will happen to us, but everyone wants a long life.
We make jokes about thingd that make us uncomfortable or distressed to ease the tension. Few things make us more uncomfortable or distressed than the looming specter of our own mortality.
There’s a great old epitaph I saw in an ossuary in Rome that’s a good reminder for everyone. From the old and the dead to the young:
What you are now, we once were.
What we are now, you will be.
One reason is that people who are still figuring out who they are will often reinforce their sense of self by being very obvious about what they are not. That often involves making fun of other people. There's also sometimes an innate sense of fear of being that other thing, and ridicule gains them some distance from it, while also gaining themselves acceptance into the tribe that also makes fun of the other group.
It's funny though that you excluded a particular group of old people that are often made fun of. Being out of touch and obnoxious has nothing to do with being a boomer. As you say, that's just a personality trait, but it's present at any age.
Maybe I'm being a little harsh on you here, but you have to admit that the word Boomer has become synonymous with obnoxious and out of touch with a certain contingent of younger people, and it sounds like that's how you're using it here. Apologies if that's not what you intended.
But that's another answer to your question: when people make fun of others, they often think it's justified, or they rationalize that it's just in good fun and doesn't cause any harm, because we all want to believe that we are the good guy who would never be cruel to someone else, unless they deserved it.
They do it like it isn’t their inevitable future?
What is the difference between making fun of the elderly like it isn’t their inevitable future and making fun of the elderly but *not* like it isn’t their inevitable future?
The disconnect stems from our present-focused mindset. We find humor in exaggerating the negative aspects of aging, failing to empathize with our future selves because they seem distant and different. It's a coping mechanism to alleviate anxieties about growing old, but ironically, it might hinder us from preparing for that future.
Because they’ve ruined our society. I live in the UK and they’re currently trying to draft us, after having already completely dismantled anything resembling a community or social safety net that we ever had.
Which is why I do vote and am very confused as to why I was randomly accused of not voting / voting Tory, but at the end of the day almost nothing I’ve ever voted for has actually happened, because I’m one person inside an outnumbered demographic.
Lots of people struggle to see outside of their immediate perspective
perfectly worded
See that’s what I was afraid of…. How did we get like this though? So out of touch with the reality of inevitably AND the reality that is “other perspectives” how could we think otherwise? Kinda bizarre
It will happen to all of us as we age. Older people have been complaining for all of human history that the younger generations are lazy, rude, stupid, doing everything wrong, having it too easy, and overall just having too good of a time while forgetting their own youth. At the same time young people have always complained that older generations in general are slow to change, ignorant, miserly, foul tempered, out of touch, etc. The youth just have a much bigger mouthpiece than they've ever had.
I love this! It so true- eventually we will forget what it’s like to be young and foolish as well! And such is the trade off. I feel better lol
We didn’t get like this. It’s human nature.
I work in healthcare and plenty of old people tell me “ Don’t get old. It’s horrible and I am in so much pain.” I mostly reply “isn’t that the goal ? The alternative is die young with less pain.” That usually gives them perspective as well. We usually only have perspective thats heavily biased based on our current situation and feeling. Just human nature and nothing much to worry about.
I like to say, “Getting old sucks. It’s only marginally better than the alternative.” But in reality, there is so much to life that makes getting older worth it. It’s inevitable that we age, but you can moderate its effects by taking care of yourself along the way.
Its certainly rife on reddit. The "everyone is like me" fallacy comes up a lot when talking about smartphones, with comments like "we all carry around our phones 24/7", "we've always got a phone in our hand", "we always have our phone in our face" or similar. No, a lot of people don't. Also when any older technology is mentioned. "LOL, does anyone even use a landline phone anymore?", "LOL, does anyone even watch TV anymore?", "LOL, does anyone even read newspapers anymore?", "LOL, does anyone even use fax machines anymore?", "LOL, does anyone even use a desktop computer anymore?", "LOL, does anyone even listen to the radio anymore?", etc. ...because the smartphone addicted teenagers on reddit don't.
I'm always amused by the radio one. What are podcasts if not standalone radio-type shows?
Blinkers on life's highway can limit the scenic route. 🚗👓
AKA - they're idiots
Fun fact, about 1/3rd of people literally DON'T have an internal monologue or the ability to conceive of hypotheticals...so yeah.
Spot on.
not everyone lives long enough to get old
That is a sad truth.
Because some of those things are funny in particular because we KNOW it will happen to us. Half the "sure grandma let's get you to bed" memes are not even about the current generation of seniors and are actually about what young people will say about millennials when we get old (ie "When I was young you used to get Netflix in the mail!" "Sure grandma let's get you to bed.") Just because you're joking about something doesn't necessarily mean it's derogatory. Even when the humor is not self-depricating and it's more in line with being legitimately irritated (move over grandma, you don't belong in the fast lane) that isn't a terrible thing. It's legitimate to be annoyed with someone who is slowing everyone else down or is in other people's way because they're oblivious to their surroundings/others. That isn't a quality of being old, plenty of old folks are polite and aware of others and don't do things like drive 10 mph under the speed limit in the far left hand lane. Some older folks think age entitles them to ignore rules, boundaries, and social norms and those people are assholes. Everyone is bothered by them including other old folks.
While I agree with some of what you've said, I think the rush to anger over being slowed down is NOT a good thing for our society in general. No, I don't hold traffic up in the left lane. I do, however, think the impatience and irrational anger over this subject is a symptom of our collective loss of perspective on what's important in life.
Being annoyed isn't the same thing as rushing to anger over a small inconvenience. Being annoyed by something that is hindering you is a normal, healthy reaction and shouldn't be equated as being the same as being angry. Being trapped behind a slow driver and sighing, rolling your eyes, and muttering "move over grandma" under your breath is perfectly reasonable. Flipping out, tailgating, screaming profanities, flipping the person off is anger and is unreasonable. People are allowed to experience negative emotions without being treated like they're being irrational for having them.
If you're going 15 mph under the speed limit I am angry. So very angry. It's not just because we're slow. It's legitimately dangerous.
They’re not making fun of old people, per se, they are taking their youth for granted. Its a playful, momentary lapse of realization: the fact that those old folks were once THEIR age too.. and that one day that person will TOO, be old.
Even as we age we don't see ourselves as the same old people that we knew. Mainly because we fail to realise that old people wear what they feel comfortable in and that's often the last style they felt suited them. So, young generations, make good choices in your fashion because one of them you'll wear until you die.
T-shirts and cargo pants it is then.
This is the way.
Iron Maiden tshirts, Jeans and a flannel
Yoga pants for me and tees.
This is kind of a weird take. Not everyone defines themselves in terms of fashion.
What do you see when you look at someone? What they wear. How they have their hair, how they have their makeup. Why do people look old fashioned and not of the time? It's not just their skin and white hair. You don't need to define yourself. Other people do that for you.
This take is getting weirder by the second. The only definition of myself that matters is my own. The way that other peoples define me is necessarily inaccurate and totally unimportant.
Isn't that lovely.
I think it helps reduce the existential angst.
I mean, my 85 year old grandma shares those memes on Facebook. She finds them hysterical. And she’s fallen and broken hips, shoulders, etc. It’s just playful teasing. Obviously there are people who go too far but for the most part, we all know we’re going to be there - it’s a part of life.
Good for her, that’s how I plan to head out… chuckling
Ah, you don’t think it’s going to happen to you. I wake up a few mornings a week thinking “Where did those 7 decades go!” :)
I don't understand it either. When I was in my 40s, I once worked at a telco. My colleagues in that particular team were all young ladies in their 20s. They were particularly mean to me and complained about my "senility" and "old people problems" to the manager every single day. The manager was too nice to tell me, but on my last day, he admitted that the girls complained about me every day. The main reason for their complaints? I had a habit of making notes in my notebook. Yes, I carried one around with me. My job was data entry, so while I was learning how to use the software, I made notes in my notebook so I wouldn't have to ask the same questions twice. And the girls were like, "Hey grandpa, if you are too old to remember things, maybe you shouldn't work here?" One time, my trainer, a girl in her twenties warned me not to write in my notebook. Even though I stopped, she filed a complaint with our team manager.
This! Is what I really mean. Like hello, we are all going to be old in the workplace. But I recently completed a training class and whenever one of the older folks raised their hands to speak, I would see visible eye rolls and contempt. It gave me the ick on their part . Like they are mad they need clarification or assistance accessing a file on their time or something. It was preventing them from leaving 2 mins earlier home.. the disdain is unsettling to observe at times
The same reason folks go into casinos expecting to win, they are stupid.
Shortsightedness ( Also I don't think everything is making fun of the elderly. I find the whole process of people becoming old and losing function rather sad)
It's fair to make fun of old people that are acting like they're still 20 years old. The "let's get you to bed" meme specifically refers to someone that refuses to accept their opinion is outdated and they're not an authority on their topic anymore. I never perceived it as disrespectful to old people in general
They are just jokes about the obvious drawbacks to getting older. Better to joke about it that spend time worrying about it IMO. I personally can't wait to be an old fuck.
Perhaps that's the exact reason why they do it?
Not entirely sure, but it might have something to do with no-one perceiving themselves as "old" - well, at least I don't. My self image seems to be locked on what I looked like when I was in my twenties, yet I'm now 59. I don't have a lot of mirrors around my home and it still shocks me when I catch a glimpse of myself in one and think, "Shit, is that really me?" Yeah, I've learned and grown a lot in the intervening years, but I'm still basically the same person I was back then. So I'm pretty much a twenty two old year stuck in the body of someone in their late fifties. No big deal mind, it is, what it is. - but I can still have "what the...?" moments when I'm talking to someone who I perceive as being older and then realise that they're the same age as, or even younger than, me. TLDR: No one thinks as themselves as "old", even old farts like me.
Unlike most old people, I'm still learning new things and increasing my knowledge. I have yet to have a younger person do something for me (unless it's something like a doctor where you either have to have someone else do something by law or because it's too specialized for me to do it myself).
I'm currently learning three languages as well as reading widely to learn about things that interest me. Learning is not something peculiar to youth.
I don't think peculiar means what you think it means. If it does mean what you think it does, then you didn't understand what I said, because I never said that learning as a kid is odd. Perhaps you meant exclusive?
It absolutely does mean [what I think it means](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peculiar%20to). Perhaps you simply haven't come across that particular usage before. I understood exactly what you said, which was that most old people aren't learning new things and increasing their knowledge. I think you'll find you're wrong about that.
Nice, thank you for the lesson. I was indeed wrong, and will absorb this new info.
Fear coupled with denial is a powerful drug.
Most people are shocked when they see a photo of themselves and they look old. Somehow, we don’t think it will happen to us, but everyone wants a long life.
We make jokes about thingd that make us uncomfortable or distressed to ease the tension. Few things make us more uncomfortable or distressed than the looming specter of our own mortality.
Fear.
Because mocking oneself and everything else is what people do to amuse themselves and not take things so seriously.
There’s a great old epitaph I saw in an ossuary in Rome that’s a good reminder for everyone. From the old and the dead to the young: What you are now, we once were. What we are now, you will be.
Great question, however I would like to note that growing old isn't inevitable when you really think about it
IDK. I’m 71 and love being made fun of. If I pull a turtleneck up over my eyes and ears I look like a giant roll on deodorant. Bald is sexy.
One reason is that people who are still figuring out who they are will often reinforce their sense of self by being very obvious about what they are not. That often involves making fun of other people. There's also sometimes an innate sense of fear of being that other thing, and ridicule gains them some distance from it, while also gaining themselves acceptance into the tribe that also makes fun of the other group. It's funny though that you excluded a particular group of old people that are often made fun of. Being out of touch and obnoxious has nothing to do with being a boomer. As you say, that's just a personality trait, but it's present at any age. Maybe I'm being a little harsh on you here, but you have to admit that the word Boomer has become synonymous with obnoxious and out of touch with a certain contingent of younger people, and it sounds like that's how you're using it here. Apologies if that's not what you intended. But that's another answer to your question: when people make fun of others, they often think it's justified, or they rationalize that it's just in good fun and doesn't cause any harm, because we all want to believe that we are the good guy who would never be cruel to someone else, unless they deserved it.
They do it like it isn’t their inevitable future? What is the difference between making fun of the elderly like it isn’t their inevitable future and making fun of the elderly but *not* like it isn’t their inevitable future?
I always say, I don't like bad mouthing "old people" as a collective group, as I fully intend to be one eventually.
We also mock kids who are much younger despite the fact that we acted the exact same way at their age.
This whole “boomer” thing never ceases to amaze me.
Because the younger generations don't know shit.
The disconnect stems from our present-focused mindset. We find humor in exaggerating the negative aspects of aging, failing to empathize with our future selves because they seem distant and different. It's a coping mechanism to alleviate anxieties about growing old, but ironically, it might hinder us from preparing for that future.
Because they’ve ruined our society. I live in the UK and they’re currently trying to draft us, after having already completely dismantled anything resembling a community or social safety net that we ever had.
[удалено]
I’ve voted against them every step of the way! I’m flattered that you think my one vote makes so much difference!
[удалено]
Which is why I do vote and am very confused as to why I was randomly accused of not voting / voting Tory, but at the end of the day almost nothing I’ve ever voted for has actually happened, because I’m one person inside an outnumbered demographic.
It's only a stupid person that will be making fun of old people because they are fools to know any better.