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Originally Posted by HappyCow011
The majority of old people sound like a broken record, complaining about how they get no respect, how they don't feel valued.
It's sad, but most old people of today aren't valued but its their own fault, it's because they have nothing valueable to offer.
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I know this is very likely a troll post full of rationalizations, but I'll respond anyway.
By saying they have nothing valuable to offer, you're effectively discounting their entire life's experience and the insights and lessons they gain from it. This is a seriously hasty judgement, for some things about human nature or behavior have not changed despite the high-tech "wizardry" of our day and age and beyond.
Furthermore, I'll bet if you heard someone in their 20s repeat word for word what an old person said about human nature matters (and yes, even to a degree, technology matters IF they've kept up with tech trends), then you wouldn't be so quick to dismiss what that 20something said. Even in the tech area, it's not their age that is the issue, its their not keeping up with tech trends. A person's error about today's technology is an error about today's technology - no matter if it's an 19 or 90 year old.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyCow011
I do not expects old people to keep up with the latest trends, to know the latest technology, to be hip with the latest entertainment, to keep up with the pace of globalization, to do physically demanding tasks, to even be able to work a job, to even be able to take care of themselves.
But what I do expect from old people is that when they had the ability to do these things, that they lived their life to the fullest, faced adversity, and ultimately came out of this experience with a level of ACCEPTANCE.
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"Living to the fullest" is in the eye of the beholder. Who's to say sedentary hobbies like the proverbial stamp collecting are less "full" than skydiving and hang-gliding or doing on adventure safaris. It's just different tastes, like whether you prefer Kona to French Roast coffee. Nothing more, nothing less.
The rest of the OP seems all over the place, flitting from topic to topic.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyCow011
Some things went right, somethings went wrong, but ultimately they learned to accept themselves for who they are and found that all the external stuff is not important. They learned to be happy with life on life's terms. And having found themselves, they have a sense of SERENITY.
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How does lacking a sense of serenity and not being happy with "life on life's terms" (whatever that means) make someone worthy of disrespect? Last time I checked, worthiness of disrespect is limited to being consciously and deliberately hurtful or demeaning toward others, or have a clearly willful lack of care about another person's basic well-being or dignity (physical or mental).
Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyCow011
I expect old people to have something that young people do not yet have, the ability to LIVE LIFE ONE DAY AT A TIME. And that is a wisdom that I can appreciate in old people. That is an energy that I want to be around. I want to be around wise old people who because they can accept themselves for who they are, can accept me for who I am.
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How does this square with the claim in the title "Why Old People Get No Respect"? Seems to me that you are respecting some old people. Or do you see most of them not being what you want them to be?
Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyCow011
I don't need someone telling me what to do or how to do it. I don't need advise. But what I do need is someone who can accept me and encourage me. Someone who believes that I have the tools within me to figure it all out.
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But the old people I come in contact with are bitter. They are complaining. And the very fact that they have so much anger, so much discontent, tells me that they have not found acceptance. That they have not found serenity. That in their 60+ years of life they have not mastered it.
It makes me feel that instead of facing their adversity, they instead numbed themselves with alcohol, television, unhealthy relationships, drugs, etc. And as a result they did not grow. They stayed adult children. And now in their old age they have no more wisdom than an 18 year old.[/quote]
I don't know what types of 60+ people in your life. Maybe most 60+ types you met are what you say they are. But they certainly aren't like most of the one's I've seen - even in my younger days. So who's right? You or Me? or are we both not seeing representative samples of 60 and overs?
Quote:
Originally Posted by HappyCow
Sorry to be harsh, but its' their own damn fault that they have no value. And it is not too late for anyone to start facing the negative within them instead of spraying it all over the place.
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They must have value to somebody, unless you can prove to me that you are of sufficient status to declare yourself the main arbiter of value of a human being. Beyond this, such people deserve patience and compassion, not judgmentalism and blame. Why not make an effort to ask why such people are that way, and better yet, get to know them and to understand why they have the perspective they do, and do so
without harsh, cocky judgmentalism (as though you and people like you are the ultimate judge of a person's life worth). Maybe it had to do with circumstances somehow beyond their capacity to overcome.
Maybe the correct approach is that rather than assume mainstream standards for judging a person are proven beyond all reasonable doubt, think in terms of how mainstream attitudes may be contributing to their problems - especially in terms of stigmatizing people who are "weak", "whiners", "losers" (meaningless phrase used to denote kneejerk personal distaste and little, if anything, else), "weirdoes", etc. Modern society still has hangups on race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and such. Why should I believe modern ideas of "disrespect-worthy person" are perfect the way they are even today?