Older folks and a lack of verbal filters
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it sucks to get old. your eyesight starts to get fuzzy, it's harder to hear, it takes longer to heal from illness or recover from injury. it's a diminishing returns game and you start losing people you loved, liked, or even disliked a lot but the loss still shocks you. it's not an excuse; but if people are not engaged in caring for people they love, or activities they love it is easy to think people don't care about you.
an excellent reason for making the world a better place your primary goal so you don't get so self absorbed you drive others away from you.
an excellent reason for making the world a better place your primary goal so you don't get so self absorbed you drive others away from you.
^Words of wisdom, MiLady!
I have also seen the reverse on this board and the internet in general. Foul language and disrespect [lack of verbal filters] seem to be common among the younger crowd, as well. Where I live, if a young or old person acts that way, someone will tell them to behave themselves or to stop. Perhaps it is an advantage of living in a rural community.
Perhaps because I am between the two age groups, I see both sides of the argument. Even the Bible teaches:
1- respect your elders for they have much to teach
2- honor your parents
3- love your children
4- love others as much as you love yourself
Lessons to live by, IMHO.
I have also seen the reverse on this board and the internet in general. Foul language and disrespect [lack of verbal filters] seem to be common among the younger crowd, as well. Where I live, if a young or old person acts that way, someone will tell them to behave themselves or to stop. Perhaps it is an advantage of living in a rural community.
Perhaps because I am between the two age groups, I see both sides of the argument. Even the Bible teaches:
1- respect your elders for they have much to teach
2- honor your parents
3- love your children
4- love others as much as you love yourself
Lessons to live by, IMHO.
I love the energy and enthusiasm of the young (part of me misses being that optimistic about life) and I love the bluntness and "I don't give a fuck" attitude of the elderly.
The bluntness probably comes from the fact that when you're old, you really don't give a damn. You've been there, done that, worn out the shirt and don't see the need to cater to stupidity.
My mom is in that phase now. She's gone from rather polite to blunt and for the most part, it's amusing.
Obviously, I have the blunt part down....no adjustment needed for me when I become a senior citizen AND NO, I'M not ONE YET!!! SO SHUT UP ALREADY!!!
The bluntness probably comes from the fact that when you're old, you really don't give a damn. You've been there, done that, worn out the shirt and don't see the need to cater to stupidity.
My mom is in that phase now. She's gone from rather polite to blunt and for the most part, it's amusing.
Obviously, I have the blunt part down....no adjustment needed for me when I become a senior citizen AND NO, I'M not ONE YET!!! SO SHUT UP ALREADY!!!
Just wait for it.
When men turn 60, it's like someone flips a switch and they can't stop talking about their bathroom.
My prostate is the size of a grapefruit and I had to pee 6 times last night...
OR
Those nachos I ate didn't sit too well. I've been on and off the crapper all day!
Well, I have observed that a lot of old farts--including my dad and with the exception of my good old friend Jack--tend to have these old-fashioned views of the world and old values, so they don't see things the way we (the younger generation) do. They fail or simply refuse to adapt to modern times. For instance, my dad has never touched a computer and would probably die of stress if he was asked to surf the Web. On the other hand, my friend Jack, having retired not too long ago and worked for 50-something years, has the tech savvy to do even the most basic stuff like e-mail.
So it's not just a matter of a lack of speech filter. A lot of people of any age lack certain speech filters, and that's just the way they are. Older folks tend to be conservative and closed-minded.
So it's not just a matter of a lack of speech filter. A lot of people of any age lack certain speech filters, and that's just the way they are. Older folks tend to be conservative and closed-minded.
And everyone thinks it will never happen to them.
But just try and get a lot of people to listen to Lady Gaga. They are already in training for their old fart years.
But just try and get a lot of people to listen to Lady Gaga. They are already in training for their old fart years.
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THEN: "When I grow up, I want to be just like my dad."
NOW: "When I grow old, I want to be just like my old friend Jack."
NOW: "When I grow old, I want to be just like my old friend Jack."
I don't think your friend Jack is all that much of an exception. I know plenty of liberal, computer-literate folks in their late 60's, 70's and up. None of my older relatives (my parents' generation, in their early 90's now or would be) became conservative. The only one who lost his verbal filters was the one who had alzheimer's. Or maybe it was just that none of them had very strong filters to begin with.
I think it's funny as hell reading some of the comments in this thread. This is typical misunderstanding stuff, and it seems most folks do it. Back in the '70s (I was in my 20s) I was a long haired hippie smoking dope and thinking old folks didn't know shit. Now in my 60s, I am seeing the same old conversations, just from the other side. I was fortunante enough to have worked my entire life with computers, so now, most of the folks I work with are much younger than me. The misunderstandings always happen because of a lack of familiarity. This happens not only with age, but also with race, religion and everything else that seperates groupings of people.
No biggie really, it's just how things work out in real life. My Mom is in her 80s, and lives on the internet communicating with her friends. Also, I've seen young folks that don't a frigging thing about computers except how to play games on them. I'm not sure why any of that's important really, except that perceptions aren't always reality.
No biggie really, it's just how things work out in real life. My Mom is in her 80s, and lives on the internet communicating with her friends. Also, I've seen young folks that don't a frigging thing about computers except how to play games on them. I'm not sure why any of that's important really, except that perceptions aren't always reality.
Substitute the word "younger" for "older" and you get the frustrating situation where the younger generation thinks every second word has to either be profanity or something sexual (or both). Or it's some slang that makes no sense to anyone but them.
They don't necessarily need to be old. They just need to have been raised in a racist home. My mother is openly racist, and the last time she let loose with something (asking an employee at a service station if the place was owned by "whites") I felt so incredibly ashamed to be seen with her... and she wonders why I don't want to be around her. At least I got my grandmother (dad's mom) trained to stop.
I have to say, this isn't what I thought the thread would be about. I was all set to share the story of how I had a 20-minute conversation about anal sex in the middle of a hallway overlooking the Hilton lobby during Dragon*Con this year. 
I have to admit, I've lost my desire to filter my speech over the past 25 years or so. When I was 20, I wouldn't say s**t if I had a mouthful. Now I'll just say whatever pops into my head, which usually results in screams of "TMI!!!!" from anyone within listening range. Fortunately I don't say the kinds of things being described in this thread - it's usually just sexual. And it's not because I want to shock people - it's because I don't see any need to be embarrassed about it (except the fact that I don't get to do it very often - was that TMI?).
I have to admit, I've lost my desire to filter my speech over the past 25 years or so. When I was 20, I wouldn't say s**t if I had a mouthful. Now I'll just say whatever pops into my head, which usually results in screams of "TMI!!!!" from anyone within listening range. Fortunately I don't say the kinds of things being described in this thread - it's usually just sexual. And it's not because I want to shock people - it's because I don't see any need to be embarrassed about it (except the fact that I don't get to do it very often - was that TMI?).
This also explains old men in shorts, socks and sandals.
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