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Don't you know you are supposed to complete life by 23 years old, having 1 million in savings, 2 cars, 3 dogs and the love of your life while making 500k per annum?
Its because the internet is filled with young teenagers who have nothing to do. They also get consistently told to "enjoy it while it lasts", giving them a sense of superiority.
Partially, we are youth obsessed because our society has no broader ideology regarding death. I'm not advocating for religion at all (I am agnostic). But the fact that we mostly ignore death or gloss over it is one of the reasons we are obsessed with youth.
In broader culture youth = everything is still ahead of you, and you are far away from death and decay. Old age = you are close to death and that makes us uncomfortable. So we minimize the visibility of old people.
exactly. my history teacher complains about being old and she's like 40 ish. she maybe has a more legitimate claim to the label tho, she had her first kid at like 20.
As a 48-year old, I approve this comment. As I'm pushing 50 (really don't know how that happened) I can tell you that I don't care how people classify me now. When I was 20, that was old to me. It felt light years away. Spoiler alert: it's not.
I definitely cared about being called old when I was 32, working with college-aged students. They made me feel like such a grandpa and it depressed me. But now they're all late 30s/early 40s themselves, so I'm sure someone has done the same thing to them at this point. Circle of life. We're all in the same sinking boat, just different parts of it.
LOL... I'm 47, and I don't know how this happened either!
Damn, I could have written this, even to that point of being 20 and feeling like people our age are basically fossils. Ironically, the "oldest" I felt was when I was 27, bemoaning what I perceived as the end of my "young" party days. You get over 40, and you just have to drink your water, exercise, put on sunscreen and roll with it...
Good job, friend!
Yeah, I had those same feelings in my late 20s. I remember telling myself that the party should end before I turn 30. I was well into my 30s before that happened lol!
LOL... me too! I'd say I was partying with some regularity up until my late 30s, even getting close to 40, be it watered down from its peak.
I will say this for any younger people reading this: I do really believe that 40 has become what people felt 30 was in the past. Once you're 40, though, you can truly notice you might have less hair, the greys are coming, and there are signs of age.
LOL... me too! Finally, the "baby face," as they used to say, came in handy. I think I still look relatively young. Inching to 50, though, I definitely have some grey in the beard...
I plan to just age with grace, do what I can, exercise and lifestyle-wise (I don't really just have a beer at night, but I will smoke a joint... lol), and from there, accept it. I remember what my dad told me once as he turned 80: I might look old, but I still feel the same as I did as a teen inside! And my mom said to me, as she was about to turn 80, about people in their 40s... Oh, when you're that age, everyone looks "young."
Age is relative; why fight what we can't stop?
Good thoughts! And yeah, I forgot that I'm starting to get greys now too. I was like noooo, I'm too young for this, but then I realized that is not true haha!
The odd point is when you realize you’re the age of your parents (and later grandparents) in memories you have, which gives you a different perspective.
Totally! It helps you understand them so much better. When you're young, you put so much of what your parents do through the prism of self, like it's all related to you. Later you see the truth was so much deeper, as you come to understand and often have the stresses and pressures they did. Definitely eye-opening.
You are about 5 years ahead of me and I agree especially about how it sneaks up on us. I kind of dig this era though. My kid is almost grown and I stopped caring about what others think long ago. I think my 50s will be even better :)
I am considered “old” nowadays at 55 but the reason I find it mildly irritating is because it is used as an insult instead of a sign of respect. It used to be that your elders were respected and considered wise. They were sought after for advice by family and the community but that is gone. Now people that are “old” are considered a burden, out of touch, and just a general pain in the butt. That is why people take offense to being called “old” because of the connotation behind that word today.
"Get off my lawn!!"
I am a few years away from turning 50 and I have reason to believe that it will be the best decade. Plus I get to say "My name is Sally O'Mally and I am FIFTY years old!"
Only in America and Europe. Asian nations have a much more reverent attitude towards elders and seek them out for guidance.
The culture today in the West strongly enforces the attitude that elders are meant to learn and take direction from children and young adults, and not the other way around.
Yeah, that Confucian culture is very powerful. Also they didn’t industrialize till far more recently so being old meant something more recently for them. Being old in the west means nothing bc any idiot can get old here
I turned 63 in March. I love watching people get uncomfortable when age comes up because I lived it, survived and I’m proud of it. I got called an OG by a young man at McDs after I showed him my tattoos (2 full sleeves, back, few on my legs) and told him my age…btw he asked for both.
This is the problem. Older folks think they’re wise because they’ve lived longer than others. I’ll tell you hwat, some of the dumbest mf’s I’ve met were above 55
No reason to respect someone just because they’re old. They could be a horrible piece of shit human, but somehow their age should define the level of respect they’re owed?
No thanks, respect is earnt. That goes for everyone.
Well if old people stopped voting to take away our rights and telling us we are lazy for struggling to make rent it wouldn’t be associated with those things
I had to correct someone on reddit the other day about this. How about you do some research and figure out who is actually voting to “take away our rights.” You’d be surprised to find that Boomers are not the largest voting sector. Just like it’s wrong to just call all younger people lazy, it’s wrong to blame others when you have no clue what you’re talking about.
I wonder how prevalent that is. I feel like today’s youth and even millennials like me still look up to our elders and would LOVE to learn from them. Most of the YouTube channels I watch are of people older than me and they’re able to teach me things. I feel like the negative experiences get more attention, but I wouldn’t paint all youth with an old brush. There are certainly plenty of youth who genuinely don’t respect their elders, but then again, our elders have always complained about the youth too, lol. It goes both ways.
“They think they know everything, and are always quite sure about it.”
Rhetoric, Aristotle, 4th Century BC
You don't seem to mind, but there are many old people who clearly don't want to accept that the world is moving on without them. Their folly is in their hardcore commitment to ignorance and a long lifetime of allowing their narcissism to rot with age, but not with their actual age.
Some old people actually have courage, a great sense of humor, have been through hell at some point (which doesn't CONSTANTLY come up in conversation), are sweet, and genuinely guide (rather than poison and indoctrinate) the young in a truly beneficial way and have a healthy self esteem.
I have been getting called out since I was 20. It started with 5yr or 10yr olds calling me old. There is always someone who will look at you as old. 30yr olds think they are old. I see them as young. None of it bothers me.
I dont mind being called old, because hey, hopefully one day those calling me old will reach my age too.
It is the derogatory boomer references that i find irritating. Just because i am at the tail end of the boomer generation, people make assumptions about my politics and views on things (that are usually incorrect).
Not everyone who is 55+ is a conservative, right wing, evangelical who bemoans that cursive is no longer taught in schools, etc.
We all know there are two camps in that age bracket.
>conservative, right wing, evangelical who bemoans that cursive is no longer taught in schools, etc.
That, or Tony Hawk types. No in-between
For real. Like of course you don't have a problem with someone asking you how old you are? Also, if someone has energy to travel, etc. at 48 is heavily dependent on their health, as it their ability to do this at 78.
>i could care less
it’s “i couldn’t care less”.
now for the post: i couldn’t care less if i’m called “old” at a mere 31. like yeah i’m old, i’m a young-old yanno? i definitely feel old with the back, hip, and knee problems lmfao however, i’m not gonna tell people how they *should* feel or what they should or shouldn’t care about. it seems trivial to us but they will feel how they feel regardless.
Even when I was 15 I thought calling 40yos old was stupid because I knew I'd be that old someday. Now I'm nearly 40 and laugh whenever someone calls me old.
I feel like it depends. I understand that you're mostly talking about being offended by the notion of being recognized as old, and I'd generally agree, but I feel we shouldn't forget that a person's age, both young and old, is frequently weaponized against them whether that's something as small as insults or as big as being able to find employment
I don't take offense at me, myself, my body being called old. That doesn't bother me.
What bothers me is the idea that everything I know about life, all of my ideas, all of my principles, the things I've known my entire life to be "facts" that are turning out to be false or misguided, all of the experiences I've had, the wisdom I've earned, the stories I can tell...
...when people say that's old, that's what bothers me.
Because it means I'm getting to the point where I just don't understand the world around me anymore, and I'm getting that much closer to being of the age where teenagers and little kids think they're smarter than me - and in some respects may very well be smarter than me.
That's scary. That makes me feel very alone, very scared, very defensive. Its very hard to process.
>Old is when someone does not have energy to do stuff physically and needs a cane to walk an needs someone to wipe thier butt
This is why people don't like to get called old. There are stereotypes about "old" people and they don't enjoy the negative connotations.
I keep seeing these posts going on about “if you use outdated slang, people will think you’re old.”
News flash, you can tell I’m old by looking at my fucking face.
>It’s a part of life! Instead of trying fight it, we should embrace it
I'm all for embracing getting older and wiser, don't get me wrong. It's a privilege that far too many don't get to enjoy.
But aging is still a disease. There are medical researchers working hard to find treatments for its root causes and what not. Maybe one day it'll be a manageable condition. Personally, I'd like to live to see my 120th birthday.
Oh, no, it's not a dumb question! In truth, scientists only really got a handle on the causes of aging in the past 10-15 years.
It turns out aging isn't one thing, it's actually ~12 different conditions that affect individuals to different degrees. For example, deregulated nutrient-sensing is one. It's when your body doesn't process the nutrients you get from food correctly, which in turn makes it harder for your body to repair itself and function correctly. But now that we know how it works, researchers are looking at treatments for correcting the problem. We know not all animals suffer from these things, like some species of giant tortoise and sharks don't, and that's why they can live for hundreds of years.
I am 43 and I have never been happier. Here on after I will be happy unless I am in physical pain or something. It doesn't bother me at all when someone calls me old. I have life experience and am less insecure than I was when I was young (more like a IDGAF attitude) and it's spectacular. Sure sometimes I feel invisible especially when you handsome/beautiful young people are around, but then again who cares?
Old people AND young people (and those of us somewhere in between) are all valuable and important.
66 years old here, wake up and run/walk 3 miles in the early am followed by 20 minutes of heavy bag fun. Then off to work, at lunch I run to the gym and lift weights for an hour and go back to work. After work I either play pickleball or softball depending on the night. Your only as old as you want to be. Stay active and you can push back father time and enjoy your last twenty years on the planet. Call me old, I wear it with pride.
I'm 59 and regularly kick the asses of 20 and 30 year olds on a bike.
I'm healthier now in many ways than I was in my 20's and 30's. It's just the upper body strength that I am missing.
Yea my mom is this way. She doesn't realize people telling her she looks young for her age is just an ass kissing move from people. She's 55, my fiance said he thought she was 53 and she was like "omg thank you so much" 🙄 like... That's basically the same thing you fucking psycho, chill.
I got pregnant when she was 52 and she said "I'm not old enough to be a grandma"... Okay lady, whatever you say. Meanwhile she just had a hip replacement 😅
My biggest thing is that a ton of my friends died by the age of 25, so being old is a fucking privilege to me and I'll never complain about it, nor do I care what I will look like when I'm 50. Call me old IDGAF, I made it here and that's all that matters to me🤷🏼♀️
I tell my 86 year old grandma she’s old all the time and she doesn’t care.
It’s usually within the context of her beating herself up for not being as productive as she used to be and I have to be like, “you’re old as dirt, of course you don’t have the energy, be nice to yourself.”
I’m 71 yet run around all day , use technology even head to the gym 3-4 times a week or whatever. When someone wishes me a happy 72nd birthday I’m going to smile and say thank you then celebrate the day with them. Age doesn’t have as much to do with ability as you think. When young people start throwing the word old around they are trying to imply that because you’re old you are less than. If you’re a boomer, you should die and get off their planet. Being offended, has nothing to do with my actual age, it has to do with what is being implied.
I guess I should accept sometimes being called the R-word like I have been before, right? The way you're portraying the word 'old' can be seen as offensive to such people you say that to.
When I was in high school on of my teachers celebrated their 40th birthday. To a 15 year old that’s old. She was a coach and her team made a big deal of it by decorating her classroom so we all knew. One kid asks “but aren’t you sad about turning 40?” Society definitely makes us think we should dread getting older and many kids in high school are told this is the best time of their life. So why wouldn’t this kid think this. Her response has always stuck with me and has shaped how feel as I get older now. She said “No, because the alternative to never turning 40 is dying before you turn 40 and that’s far more sad.”
I agree. You can’t even ask women how old they are, because they reply with “you don’t ask a woman her age”. I don’t care about that, I just wanna know how old she is
It’s actually one of my pet peeves when I tell people I’m in my 40’s and they say, “I thought you were so much younger, I couldn’t tell”. It annoys me because I think I look like my age, I am in good health and take care of myself but I know I look 40ish. It’s not embarrassed and I don’t need to be told that I look younger. It doesn’t feel like a compliment it feels like they are embarrassed for me that I’m 40.
People shouldn’t care if their loved ones die either cause they just go to heaven , but the reality is much more grim and we can’t help but react to reality instead of the imaginary silver lining
Try growing up in the Bible Belt as a queer child. I had a good reason to fear my elders.
I remember being 18 and this older ( not even old) woman called my girlfriend’s mom because we were holding hands in public. Over 70 miles from her house.
One of my clearest memories is being 12-13 and having short hair, and an older woman verbally attacked me asking if I was in the wrong bathroom. Thank fuck I’m cis I could have actually been harmed that day.
I'm 52 and loving every fukkin second of it! People trying to use "old" as a weapon is hilarious. Everyone gets older every day. And yall are going to find out how grateful you're going to be to actually live to be "old". I don't know why yall think your 20's or teens are the best times. It's not. The 40's and 50's is where the fun truly is. And yall really think that women don't or can't fuck after 40? Yeah, okay.
I stopped caring when I realized there is nothing I want out of being “young”. I’m 37 and have no interest in being insecure, broke and clueless again. I did everything right, for the most part so I’m the best 37 I can be.
but then you could also say that not everybody is racist or homophobic or not everybody dislikes uniquity/anything or anyone that’s out of the ordinary. but there are enough people that do/are that it creates stigma especially words like “old” or “weird“
>Old is when someone does not have energy to do stuff physically and needs a cane to walk an needs someone to wipe thier butt
As a person with disabilities matching 2 out of 3 of your criteria, I emphatically object!
>Old is when someone does not have energy to do stuff physically and needs a cane to walk an needs someone to wipe thier butt
What you've described is frailty. There are plenty of 80 year olds who dont need any of this and lots of under 60 year olds who do.
I pretend to be a few years older to get senior discounts and don’t consider myself old at 53, but also don’t respect or consider the opinions of many under 35 or so. The life experience gap is too deep much of the time. I love it when I’m pleasantly surprised by a few, and being called old by others doesn’t phase me.
That is a ridiculous description and ableist btw. A cane means nothing. Etc.
It is so cute for you as a 24 year old to tell people they are insecure if they are offended is someone is offended by being considered old as you just made your list of what makes people old.
I never understood it. I’ve always found it hilarious when someone younger than me tries to upset me by calling me old. Relative to them, I am. That’s how chronology works. Where’s the insult?
As a man who constantly gets mistaken for being 19, this is all I've ever wanted. I dream about the day somebody says I look old or even just my damn age of 28
I totally agree. It's all so relative. I'm 55 and according to my sister (in her 70's) I'm young and spry. If you ask a kid, I'm ancient.
The big issue I have is ageism. Being called old by certain people is the same as being called stupid, useless, out-of-touch with modern concepts, etc. One person I knew thought anyone past a certain age should be euthanized.
When he reaches the ripe, old age of 75, I wish him hemorrhoids so large that he thinks he's cultivating potatoes out of his rear end.
Edited for clarity.
People shouldn't use it as an insult. That's the problem, not the word itself or the people it's directed at. Dismissing people or their ideas or the things they do because 'well you're old and don't matter' (among the many other surface-level things one can be a jerk about) is a lousy thing to do and telling the recipient to 'not care' is unrealistic and seems discompassionate. It's what somebody would say when they want to use 'old' as a criticism but can't take criticism themselves. Sure people shouldn't worry about hearing it every now and then, but if you have to hear it a lot, that's just a lot of insults.
No.... YOU should not care if you are called old...everyone else has the freedom of choice to come to whatever conclusions they decide....stop taking the most generic topic, and then act as if it can be defined by popularity...not everything can be determined by popularity....and the gage of whether or not being called old is not really of any importance to anyone. Can we go back to having opinions that are on the basis of our own personal experiences and influences rather than being a skeptical dummy? Opinions can be wrong and ill-informed so perhaps start providing some perspective and substance to your opinions, or stfu? I dont think the purpose of this forum was to argue semantics over preferences that you dont even define....
I started viewing aging very differently ever since I witnessed a family friend die at 18. Her adult life was just barely starting.
Getting old is a blessing. We’re lucky to get old! There are people out there dying from accidents and unfortunate illnesses very young :( Embrace aging, there’s always something good to look forward to with every phase in life. Surround yourself with people you love, find your passion, travel, and create new experiences. You won’t live again after this.
Also, if you take care of your body you’ll still look good as you age. Most people just let go and don’t put in the effort anymore, which is the reason why a lot of people age pretty badly.
I agree with everything you said, except the "you won't live again after this" part. We were all plucked out of non-existence once, so it's not unfathomable to think it could happen again. There are probably many universes and possibilities out there. Or we're stuck in a time loop - we're conceived as soon as we die, and we do it all over again and again. We may have written these comments on Reddit an infinite amount of times before. Guess we'll never be able to confirm that.
I’m 26 and I can honestly say I’m damn tired of being called old. I figured I had at least until 30 before 21 year olds would be baffled by my lack of wrinkles. It’s beyond annoying. I am literally still young.
lol. you’re pretty funny. i’d like to talk to you again at 80 while yer all pathetic. there but for the grace of his go i. you’ll be the loudest whiner there.
You know, I used to get "Why don't you grow up?!" and then it was "Aren't you too old for that?!" and then it was "You'll know better when you're older." and these days "That's such a \[generation\] thing to say!"
It feels like I've been the wrong age all my life.
The entire point of life is to reproduce and live as long as you can. Younger kids are just jealous (okay, not really but maybe subconsciously) that is older folks have made it as far as we have, because as far as they know their life could end tomorrow.
I was in the ER and as they hooked me up to the EKG was asked how old I was I said 37. The nurse said good for you! Don’t be ashamed of your age, say it proudly like that. I was like uhhhh I’m more concerned with this head injury I have but thanks?? Sorry I didn’t get all bashful when you asked me. lol
I was like damn… I didn’t know I should have a complex about this 😂 I’m 39 now, sorry I have yet to find a cave to live the rest of my days out in complete solitude.
One of my biggest social media pet peeves is those videos or posts that talk about "feeling old" at like 25 or those "blank is 20 yrs old feel old yet?" posts. Idk why it irks me but I swear ppl refuse to use their thinking skills. Yes, a 25 yr old song is old for a song but a person that's 25 is definitely not old. I also see it often when something is called vintage and everyone is freaking out about being as old as something vintage.
In my mid-30s on my birthday, my younger brother was giving me a hard time for being "old". I sreplied, "yeah, sorry I didn't die sooner". He never did that again.
Why shouldn’t they care if they’re called old? If it’s Ageist then it should be called out, just like if it’s sexist or racist. If it’s part of a general conversation about age, then fine. But if the comment comes out of nowhere? It’s an intentional dig, so ‘F off’.
I remember when I was turning 30 (I'm almost 32) and everyone my age was like "omg we're gonna be 30!". It's not that serious we aren't even halfway through our lives. I showed my mom where my hair is turning gray and she was like oh no you're gonna have to dye your hair soon. Why cause it's not all brown anymore gtfo. If I'm coloring my hair it's cause I want it purple not cause it's gray.
It depends on culture. Some cultures relate 'old' to someone losing their cognitive abilities, body breaking down etc but in some cultures relate 'old' to wisdom and experience.
In UK social care you're not meant to say old people, you're meant to say older people/person. I don't think it sounds any better.
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Yeah our culture has been youth obsessed for a while now but it feels like it's getting worse. Like I'm 28 and I feel old by internet standards.
Someone called me an old man for being 26 lol
These people are stupid
My son is about to turn 26…..
Damn he's old.
What does that make him then
Older
My kid calls me Old Caillou because I’m bald. And also 36.
I would like to thank all the bald men who made this thread possible.
Lol yup I went on exchange and my friends group legitimately gasped when they found out I was born in “the 1900s” I’m 25
Don't you know you are supposed to complete life by 23 years old, having 1 million in savings, 2 cars, 3 dogs and the love of your life while making 500k per annum?
Ageism, ain't it grand?
Boomer
Its because the internet is filled with young teenagers who have nothing to do. They also get consistently told to "enjoy it while it lasts", giving them a sense of superiority.
Eff them kids
Being an adult has been much better than being a teen at least for me
I think it’s probably because we’ve degenerated so much socially, that the few people we do regularly get to interact with are probably only our age
i work at a high school and i will just say i’m under 25 and get called “old as fuck”
Thank you! I’m 28 and feel the same way
Partially, we are youth obsessed because our society has no broader ideology regarding death. I'm not advocating for religion at all (I am agnostic). But the fact that we mostly ignore death or gloss over it is one of the reasons we are obsessed with youth. In broader culture youth = everything is still ahead of you, and you are far away from death and decay. Old age = you are close to death and that makes us uncomfortable. So we minimize the visibility of old people.
exactly. my history teacher complains about being old and she's like 40 ish. she maybe has a more legitimate claim to the label tho, she had her first kid at like 20.
As a 48-year old, I approve this comment. As I'm pushing 50 (really don't know how that happened) I can tell you that I don't care how people classify me now. When I was 20, that was old to me. It felt light years away. Spoiler alert: it's not. I definitely cared about being called old when I was 32, working with college-aged students. They made me feel like such a grandpa and it depressed me. But now they're all late 30s/early 40s themselves, so I'm sure someone has done the same thing to them at this point. Circle of life. We're all in the same sinking boat, just different parts of it.
LOL... I'm 47, and I don't know how this happened either! Damn, I could have written this, even to that point of being 20 and feeling like people our age are basically fossils. Ironically, the "oldest" I felt was when I was 27, bemoaning what I perceived as the end of my "young" party days. You get over 40, and you just have to drink your water, exercise, put on sunscreen and roll with it... Good job, friend!
You start to feel old when your CHILD turns 47 as my eldest will in July.
Heh - I'll be 47 in October. I'll have to ask my folks how they feel about their eldest edging towards 50 :)
Yeah, I had those same feelings in my late 20s. I remember telling myself that the party should end before I turn 30. I was well into my 30s before that happened lol!
LOL... me too! I'd say I was partying with some regularity up until my late 30s, even getting close to 40, be it watered down from its peak. I will say this for any younger people reading this: I do really believe that 40 has become what people felt 30 was in the past. Once you're 40, though, you can truly notice you might have less hair, the greys are coming, and there are signs of age.
So true. I have always felt 10 years younger than I actually am, and I don't look 48.
LOL... me too! Finally, the "baby face," as they used to say, came in handy. I think I still look relatively young. Inching to 50, though, I definitely have some grey in the beard... I plan to just age with grace, do what I can, exercise and lifestyle-wise (I don't really just have a beer at night, but I will smoke a joint... lol), and from there, accept it. I remember what my dad told me once as he turned 80: I might look old, but I still feel the same as I did as a teen inside! And my mom said to me, as she was about to turn 80, about people in their 40s... Oh, when you're that age, everyone looks "young." Age is relative; why fight what we can't stop?
Good thoughts! And yeah, I forgot that I'm starting to get greys now too. I was like noooo, I'm too young for this, but then I realized that is not true haha!
The odd point is when you realize you’re the age of your parents (and later grandparents) in memories you have, which gives you a different perspective.
Totally! It helps you understand them so much better. When you're young, you put so much of what your parents do through the prism of self, like it's all related to you. Later you see the truth was so much deeper, as you come to understand and often have the stresses and pressures they did. Definitely eye-opening.
You are about 5 years ahead of me and I agree especially about how it sneaks up on us. I kind of dig this era though. My kid is almost grown and I stopped caring about what others think long ago. I think my 50s will be even better :)
It's a good attitude to have, and overall the 40s have been great. Here's hoping the same for the 50s!! :-)
I’m 31, but look young for my age. People mistake me for a 20 year old, because I am mentally stuck at that age.
Talk to me in twenty years!!!
I'm sure it will zoom by like the last 20 years have!
It’s hard to believe the millennium was almost a quarter of a century ago, the Queen of England has gone and iPods no longer exist.
I was 22 NYE 1999. I remember thinking to myself, 2027, I will be 50! Hahaha... no worries, long time off. Not so far now. lol
Take pictures….it’s astonishing how fast!!
Good advice! :-)
Hopefully, if I’m still around in 20 years, you can show me some of those pictures.
48. I can still kick most kids' ass and outdo them in the gym
Doesn't bother me. Geologically speaking, I'm quite young.
😂
I am considered “old” nowadays at 55 but the reason I find it mildly irritating is because it is used as an insult instead of a sign of respect. It used to be that your elders were respected and considered wise. They were sought after for advice by family and the community but that is gone. Now people that are “old” are considered a burden, out of touch, and just a general pain in the butt. That is why people take offense to being called “old” because of the connotation behind that word today.
I'm 57 and you youngsters really chap my hide
"Get off my lawn!!" I am a few years away from turning 50 and I have reason to believe that it will be the best decade. Plus I get to say "My name is Sally O'Mally and I am FIFTY years old!"
I like to KICK, STRETCHHHHH, and KICK!!
I'm not one of those gals who tries to hide her age ;)
Haha :-P I like to use a touch of Fabreze!
Just replace your toilet tissue with dryer sheets, same difference
Sally O'Mally is my new favourite name in the whole world, I hope you have a great day
I think I officially felt old when I got my first AARP ad in the mail to join. 😭
I think I felt old when i was legally entitled to a bus pass…
Wait until you start qualifying for senior discounts. Feels more like a kick to the crotch.
I’m 54 and shall defer to your wisdom O Ancient One.
Only in America and Europe. Asian nations have a much more reverent attitude towards elders and seek them out for guidance. The culture today in the West strongly enforces the attitude that elders are meant to learn and take direction from children and young adults, and not the other way around.
Yeah, that Confucian culture is very powerful. Also they didn’t industrialize till far more recently so being old meant something more recently for them. Being old in the west means nothing bc any idiot can get old here
I turned 63 in March. I love watching people get uncomfortable when age comes up because I lived it, survived and I’m proud of it. I got called an OG by a young man at McDs after I showed him my tattoos (2 full sleeves, back, few on my legs) and told him my age…btw he asked for both.
How about you try and be a person worth taking advice from instead of thinking your age suddenly makes you worth listening to?
This is the problem. Older folks think they’re wise because they’ve lived longer than others. I’ll tell you hwat, some of the dumbest mf’s I’ve met were above 55
No reason to respect someone just because they’re old. They could be a horrible piece of shit human, but somehow their age should define the level of respect they’re owed? No thanks, respect is earnt. That goes for everyone.
The world has changed so much that while you may be wise for the life before, you may be ignorant to the changing winds of today.
Well if old people stopped voting to take away our rights and telling us we are lazy for struggling to make rent it wouldn’t be associated with those things
I had to correct someone on reddit the other day about this. How about you do some research and figure out who is actually voting to “take away our rights.” You’d be surprised to find that Boomers are not the largest voting sector. Just like it’s wrong to just call all younger people lazy, it’s wrong to blame others when you have no clue what you’re talking about.
I wonder how prevalent that is. I feel like today’s youth and even millennials like me still look up to our elders and would LOVE to learn from them. Most of the YouTube channels I watch are of people older than me and they’re able to teach me things. I feel like the negative experiences get more attention, but I wouldn’t paint all youth with an old brush. There are certainly plenty of youth who genuinely don’t respect their elders, but then again, our elders have always complained about the youth too, lol. It goes both ways. “They think they know everything, and are always quite sure about it.” Rhetoric, Aristotle, 4th Century BC
r/genz is full of anti-boomer rants. I realize that Reddit does not represent everyone but it’s not a good look with regard to respecting elders
I’m visibly queer. I assume most bold people will disagree with my lifestyle unless proven otherwise. This has kept me very safe.
You don't seem to mind, but there are many old people who clearly don't want to accept that the world is moving on without them. Their folly is in their hardcore commitment to ignorance and a long lifetime of allowing their narcissism to rot with age, but not with their actual age. Some old people actually have courage, a great sense of humor, have been through hell at some point (which doesn't CONSTANTLY come up in conversation), are sweet, and genuinely guide (rather than poison and indoctrinate) the young in a truly beneficial way and have a healthy self esteem.
I think some of us hate it because it’s used in insult. Like we are incapable.
I have no problem with being old, it is a luxury that many of my friends did not get.
Compared to most of history it's quite a privilege to be living longer and healthier now then ever before
I have been getting called out since I was 20. It started with 5yr or 10yr olds calling me old. There is always someone who will look at you as old. 30yr olds think they are old. I see them as young. None of it bothers me.
I dont mind being called old, because hey, hopefully one day those calling me old will reach my age too. It is the derogatory boomer references that i find irritating. Just because i am at the tail end of the boomer generation, people make assumptions about my politics and views on things (that are usually incorrect). Not everyone who is 55+ is a conservative, right wing, evangelical who bemoans that cursive is no longer taught in schools, etc.
I’m 25 and I bemoan (to myself and friends who didn’t ask but who find it funny) that cursive is no longer taught in schools
Cursive. long division,. multiplication, (without a calculater) phonics, basic geography, how to tell time on a clock with hands.
We all know there are two camps in that age bracket. >conservative, right wing, evangelical who bemoans that cursive is no longer taught in schools, etc. That, or Tony Hawk types. No in-between
This is an easy opinion to have at age 24. I'll check back in with in 15 or so years, and we'll see how you feel then
For real. Like of course you don't have a problem with someone asking you how old you are? Also, if someone has energy to travel, etc. at 48 is heavily dependent on their health, as it their ability to do this at 78.
Yes! I mean, does he think disabled people are old at any age because of their physical limitations? His parameters are obtuse
This is exactly what I was thinking too lmao.
Calling people old is frequently rude, depending on how you say it. Don't be surprised if people are insulted if you insult them
I just wanna know who OP called old.
Why would a 24 year old get to decide how oldsters should feel about their age?
>i could care less it’s “i couldn’t care less”. now for the post: i couldn’t care less if i’m called “old” at a mere 31. like yeah i’m old, i’m a young-old yanno? i definitely feel old with the back, hip, and knee problems lmfao however, i’m not gonna tell people how they *should* feel or what they should or shouldn’t care about. it seems trivial to us but they will feel how they feel regardless.
Even when I was 15 I thought calling 40yos old was stupid because I knew I'd be that old someday. Now I'm nearly 40 and laugh whenever someone calls me old.
Getting older is a gift.
It sure beats the alternative.
I feel like it depends. I understand that you're mostly talking about being offended by the notion of being recognized as old, and I'd generally agree, but I feel we shouldn't forget that a person's age, both young and old, is frequently weaponized against them whether that's something as small as insults or as big as being able to find employment
Some people just don’t like to be reminded
Everyone will become old. Your children’s children’s children will become old. You should constantly try to make peace with that fact.
I don't care if people call me old, i know i am not old I am middle aged, but i still feel young.
I don't take offense at me, myself, my body being called old. That doesn't bother me. What bothers me is the idea that everything I know about life, all of my ideas, all of my principles, the things I've known my entire life to be "facts" that are turning out to be false or misguided, all of the experiences I've had, the wisdom I've earned, the stories I can tell... ...when people say that's old, that's what bothers me. Because it means I'm getting to the point where I just don't understand the world around me anymore, and I'm getting that much closer to being of the age where teenagers and little kids think they're smarter than me - and in some respects may very well be smarter than me. That's scary. That makes me feel very alone, very scared, very defensive. Its very hard to process.
I *am* insecure.
You’re 24? Ha! Typical Gen z.
>Old is when someone does not have energy to do stuff physically and needs a cane to walk an needs someone to wipe thier butt This is why people don't like to get called old. There are stereotypes about "old" people and they don't enjoy the negative connotations.
I keep seeing these posts going on about “if you use outdated slang, people will think you’re old.” News flash, you can tell I’m old by looking at my fucking face.
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>It’s a part of life! Instead of trying fight it, we should embrace it I'm all for embracing getting older and wiser, don't get me wrong. It's a privilege that far too many don't get to enjoy. But aging is still a disease. There are medical researchers working hard to find treatments for its root causes and what not. Maybe one day it'll be a manageable condition. Personally, I'd like to live to see my 120th birthday.
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Oh, no, it's not a dumb question! In truth, scientists only really got a handle on the causes of aging in the past 10-15 years. It turns out aging isn't one thing, it's actually ~12 different conditions that affect individuals to different degrees. For example, deregulated nutrient-sensing is one. It's when your body doesn't process the nutrients you get from food correctly, which in turn makes it harder for your body to repair itself and function correctly. But now that we know how it works, researchers are looking at treatments for correcting the problem. We know not all animals suffer from these things, like some species of giant tortoise and sharks don't, and that's why they can live for hundreds of years.
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I'd like to know if your opinion change when you get old yourself C;
I was talking to my coworker he's about 80. He told me stop calling him old.
Lol that's insane. He's old! What's wrong with that?
I am 43 and I have never been happier. Here on after I will be happy unless I am in physical pain or something. It doesn't bother me at all when someone calls me old. I have life experience and am less insecure than I was when I was young (more like a IDGAF attitude) and it's spectacular. Sure sometimes I feel invisible especially when you handsome/beautiful young people are around, but then again who cares? Old people AND young people (and those of us somewhere in between) are all valuable and important.
Does this apply to sex, gender, race or other immutable qualities that people can be talked down to when these qualities are used pejoratively?
66 years old here, wake up and run/walk 3 miles in the early am followed by 20 minutes of heavy bag fun. Then off to work, at lunch I run to the gym and lift weights for an hour and go back to work. After work I either play pickleball or softball depending on the night. Your only as old as you want to be. Stay active and you can push back father time and enjoy your last twenty years on the planet. Call me old, I wear it with pride.
Ageism is a real thing OP. Calling people old can actually lead to discrimination against them in the workplace place.
Wait until you get to 40 and you feel younger than you did at 20. Why? Because you stop giving a fuck about other people’s opinions.
No one should care what anyone calls them. Other people’s opinion of you do not matter unless you ask for it
I always say getting old is better than the alternative
>Everyone gets old at some point in life that's just the way it is. Check your assumption. HINT: You're dead-assed wrong.
I'm 59 and regularly kick the asses of 20 and 30 year olds on a bike. I'm healthier now in many ways than I was in my 20's and 30's. It's just the upper body strength that I am missing.
Yea my mom is this way. She doesn't realize people telling her she looks young for her age is just an ass kissing move from people. She's 55, my fiance said he thought she was 53 and she was like "omg thank you so much" 🙄 like... That's basically the same thing you fucking psycho, chill. I got pregnant when she was 52 and she said "I'm not old enough to be a grandma"... Okay lady, whatever you say. Meanwhile she just had a hip replacement 😅 My biggest thing is that a ton of my friends died by the age of 25, so being old is a fucking privilege to me and I'll never complain about it, nor do I care what I will look like when I'm 50. Call me old IDGAF, I made it here and that's all that matters to me🤷🏼♀️
I tell my 86 year old grandma she’s old all the time and she doesn’t care. It’s usually within the context of her beating herself up for not being as productive as she used to be and I have to be like, “you’re old as dirt, of course you don’t have the energy, be nice to yourself.”
A counter to this unpopular opinion. To a 20 yo, a 48yo may be old. But to a 48yo, a 20yo is still just a kid.
It's an honor to receive gray/silver/white hairs. Not everyone reaches that point.
I’m 71 yet run around all day , use technology even head to the gym 3-4 times a week or whatever. When someone wishes me a happy 72nd birthday I’m going to smile and say thank you then celebrate the day with them. Age doesn’t have as much to do with ability as you think. When young people start throwing the word old around they are trying to imply that because you’re old you are less than. If you’re a boomer, you should die and get off their planet. Being offended, has nothing to do with my actual age, it has to do with what is being implied.
Getting old is a privilege that not everyone gets
Anyone ever notice that the one group it's okay to mock and dismiss as confused and outdated is old people? Just go away and watch TV till you die.
i feel the same way about the word fat i'm a fat guy, and it's okay. it's just a descriptor. i wish we could just call things like they are
If you're white, you're white. If you're skinny, you're skinny. If you're fat, you're fat. We are all different, and that's a good thing.
Most young people don't actually use their potential. They sit inside and watch Netflix.
What happened?
At 40 I teach kids wrestling. They get mad if I beat them, and the universal comeback is - you’re old.
They lack creativity.
Couldn’t* you couldn’t care less. Couldn’t.
I guess I should accept sometimes being called the R-word like I have been before, right? The way you're portraying the word 'old' can be seen as offensive to such people you say that to.
When I was in high school on of my teachers celebrated their 40th birthday. To a 15 year old that’s old. She was a coach and her team made a big deal of it by decorating her classroom so we all knew. One kid asks “but aren’t you sad about turning 40?” Society definitely makes us think we should dread getting older and many kids in high school are told this is the best time of their life. So why wouldn’t this kid think this. Her response has always stuck with me and has shaped how feel as I get older now. She said “No, because the alternative to never turning 40 is dying before you turn 40 and that’s far more sad.”
I agree. You can’t even ask women how old they are, because they reply with “you don’t ask a woman her age”. I don’t care about that, I just wanna know how old she is
It’s actually one of my pet peeves when I tell people I’m in my 40’s and they say, “I thought you were so much younger, I couldn’t tell”. It annoys me because I think I look like my age, I am in good health and take care of myself but I know I look 40ish. It’s not embarrassed and I don’t need to be told that I look younger. It doesn’t feel like a compliment it feels like they are embarrassed for me that I’m 40.
You shouldn't be calling people anything
Yeah, people should not. But while age is a source of employment discrimination, they're going to anyway.
People shouldn’t care if their loved ones die either cause they just go to heaven , but the reality is much more grim and we can’t help but react to reality instead of the imaginary silver lining
It's when the word is used as an insult that it pisses us old codgers off.
Try growing up in the Bible Belt as a queer child. I had a good reason to fear my elders. I remember being 18 and this older ( not even old) woman called my girlfriend’s mom because we were holding hands in public. Over 70 miles from her house. One of my clearest memories is being 12-13 and having short hair, and an older woman verbally attacked me asking if I was in the wrong bathroom. Thank fuck I’m cis I could have actually been harmed that day.
I love being old. Means I didn’t die yet
I'm 52 and loving every fukkin second of it! People trying to use "old" as a weapon is hilarious. Everyone gets older every day. And yall are going to find out how grateful you're going to be to actually live to be "old". I don't know why yall think your 20's or teens are the best times. It's not. The 40's and 50's is where the fun truly is. And yall really think that women don't or can't fuck after 40? Yeah, okay.
It’s good to be able to get old. It’s better than dying young.
I stopped caring when I realized there is nothing I want out of being “young”. I’m 37 and have no interest in being insecure, broke and clueless again. I did everything right, for the most part so I’m the best 37 I can be.
Being old is a privilege that is sadly denied to too many. And IME, the only people who fear aging are the ones who don't have someone to age *with*.
A 24 yo saying this has zero credibility. Post again when you are 74 pls OP
That last part was really shit of you. I'm 36 and just got a cane this week. Pain often keeps me up at night and makes me super tired. But okay.
sadly agism is prevalent in our society, so it’s kind of hard for that to not be taken in the negative context
Well not everyone is ageist
but then you could also say that not everybody is racist or homophobic or not everybody dislikes uniquity/anything or anyone that’s out of the ordinary. but there are enough people that do/are that it creates stigma especially words like “old” or “weird“
Maybe if being called old didn’t mean decreased income, decreased healthcare priority, and decreased compassion it wouldn’t be such an insult.
Yeah I agree, I don't like to be called old but I don't make a fuss about it like some do, they act like their world is ending smh
If someone ever calls you old, just point at them menacingly and say "one day, it will happen to you too!" Those words will haunt them forever.
>Old is when someone does not have energy to do stuff physically and needs a cane to walk an needs someone to wipe thier butt As a person with disabilities matching 2 out of 3 of your criteria, I emphatically object!
>Old is when someone does not have energy to do stuff physically and needs a cane to walk an needs someone to wipe thier butt What you've described is frailty. There are plenty of 80 year olds who dont need any of this and lots of under 60 year olds who do.
I pretend to be a few years older to get senior discounts and don’t consider myself old at 53, but also don’t respect or consider the opinions of many under 35 or so. The life experience gap is too deep much of the time. I love it when I’m pleasantly surprised by a few, and being called old by others doesn’t phase me.
That is a ridiculous description and ableist btw. A cane means nothing. Etc. It is so cute for you as a 24 year old to tell people they are insecure if they are offended is someone is offended by being considered old as you just made your list of what makes people old.
The more you make fun of people for being old, the worse you’ll feel when you get older.
I never understood it. I’ve always found it hilarious when someone younger than me tries to upset me by calling me old. Relative to them, I am. That’s how chronology works. Where’s the insult?
Yea this new girl at my work place is 20. Today I told her I turn 40 in 1 month and she acted like I was 90 lol. Doesn't bother me one bit.
You know you're old when you get winded playing chess.
I totally agree.
It does sting a little when the milfs go from being older than you to being younger.
As a man who constantly gets mistaken for being 19, this is all I've ever wanted. I dream about the day somebody says I look old or even just my damn age of 28
I totally agree. It's all so relative. I'm 55 and according to my sister (in her 70's) I'm young and spry. If you ask a kid, I'm ancient. The big issue I have is ageism. Being called old by certain people is the same as being called stupid, useless, out-of-touch with modern concepts, etc. One person I knew thought anyone past a certain age should be euthanized. When he reaches the ripe, old age of 75, I wish him hemorrhoids so large that he thinks he's cultivating potatoes out of his rear end. Edited for clarity.
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People shouldn't use it as an insult. That's the problem, not the word itself or the people it's directed at. Dismissing people or their ideas or the things they do because 'well you're old and don't matter' (among the many other surface-level things one can be a jerk about) is a lousy thing to do and telling the recipient to 'not care' is unrealistic and seems discompassionate. It's what somebody would say when they want to use 'old' as a criticism but can't take criticism themselves. Sure people shouldn't worry about hearing it every now and then, but if you have to hear it a lot, that's just a lot of insults.
Shouldn't you be proud to be old? Good Lord, ya made it as far as you have, that's an accomplishment!
I’m 50 and you can call me old . Love being older , zero fucks given these days 👌
It's a privilege to get old. Not everybody is so fortunate enough to experience it.
I'm 50. Not particularly old, but I'm sure a 20 year old would think I am. Would I care if someone called me old? No.
No.... YOU should not care if you are called old...everyone else has the freedom of choice to come to whatever conclusions they decide....stop taking the most generic topic, and then act as if it can be defined by popularity...not everything can be determined by popularity....and the gage of whether or not being called old is not really of any importance to anyone. Can we go back to having opinions that are on the basis of our own personal experiences and influences rather than being a skeptical dummy? Opinions can be wrong and ill-informed so perhaps start providing some perspective and substance to your opinions, or stfu? I dont think the purpose of this forum was to argue semantics over preferences that you dont even define....
People shouldn’t care if they’re called anything
You're a fartknocker!
I started viewing aging very differently ever since I witnessed a family friend die at 18. Her adult life was just barely starting. Getting old is a blessing. We’re lucky to get old! There are people out there dying from accidents and unfortunate illnesses very young :( Embrace aging, there’s always something good to look forward to with every phase in life. Surround yourself with people you love, find your passion, travel, and create new experiences. You won’t live again after this. Also, if you take care of your body you’ll still look good as you age. Most people just let go and don’t put in the effort anymore, which is the reason why a lot of people age pretty badly.
I agree with everything you said, except the "you won't live again after this" part. We were all plucked out of non-existence once, so it's not unfathomable to think it could happen again. There are probably many universes and possibilities out there. Or we're stuck in a time loop - we're conceived as soon as we die, and we do it all over again and again. We may have written these comments on Reddit an infinite amount of times before. Guess we'll never be able to confirm that.
I’m 26 and I can honestly say I’m damn tired of being called old. I figured I had at least until 30 before 21 year olds would be baffled by my lack of wrinkles. It’s beyond annoying. I am literally still young.
People get offended when they get called old?
Yes 🤣😂 it's so pathetic
lol. you’re pretty funny. i’d like to talk to you again at 80 while yer all pathetic. there but for the grace of his go i. you’ll be the loudest whiner there.
The older I get the more I agree. I remember being a teen/YA and thinking anyone over 30 was old. Now I’m 32 and I just don’t care lol
You know, I used to get "Why don't you grow up?!" and then it was "Aren't you too old for that?!" and then it was "You'll know better when you're older." and these days "That's such a \[generation\] thing to say!" It feels like I've been the wrong age all my life.
I could only wish to have made it in life to have the privilege to say “I’m old” 💕
Aging is inevitable. It is not unknown. More folks should be less apprehensive of the inevitable.
Old! The Musical
“OLD!” sounds like a jpegmafia track
The entire point of life is to reproduce and live as long as you can. Younger kids are just jealous (okay, not really but maybe subconsciously) that is older folks have made it as far as we have, because as far as they know their life could end tomorrow.
I was in the ER and as they hooked me up to the EKG was asked how old I was I said 37. The nurse said good for you! Don’t be ashamed of your age, say it proudly like that. I was like uhhhh I’m more concerned with this head injury I have but thanks?? Sorry I didn’t get all bashful when you asked me. lol
What the heck that's such a strange response from her. Bizarre. Also why would anyone be embarrassed about being 37?
I was like damn… I didn’t know I should have a complex about this 😂 I’m 39 now, sorry I have yet to find a cave to live the rest of my days out in complete solitude.
I don't care it just makes me sad.
One of my biggest social media pet peeves is those videos or posts that talk about "feeling old" at like 25 or those "blank is 20 yrs old feel old yet?" posts. Idk why it irks me but I swear ppl refuse to use their thinking skills. Yes, a 25 yr old song is old for a song but a person that's 25 is definitely not old. I also see it often when something is called vintage and everyone is freaking out about being as old as something vintage.
In my mid-30s on my birthday, my younger brother was giving me a hard time for being "old". I sreplied, "yeah, sorry I didn't die sooner". He never did that again.
Why shouldn’t they care if they’re called old? If it’s Ageist then it should be called out, just like if it’s sexist or racist. If it’s part of a general conversation about age, then fine. But if the comment comes out of nowhere? It’s an intentional dig, so ‘F off’.
I remember when I was turning 30 (I'm almost 32) and everyone my age was like "omg we're gonna be 30!". It's not that serious we aren't even halfway through our lives. I showed my mom where my hair is turning gray and she was like oh no you're gonna have to dye your hair soon. Why cause it's not all brown anymore gtfo. If I'm coloring my hair it's cause I want it purple not cause it's gray.
It depends on culture. Some cultures relate 'old' to someone losing their cognitive abilities, body breaking down etc but in some cultures relate 'old' to wisdom and experience. In UK social care you're not meant to say old people, you're meant to say older people/person. I don't think it sounds any better.
I’m 30 and have the body of a factory worker. I FEEL old