tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089082204850170942.post1798143140666728169..comments2024-03-21T12:52:08.166+11:00Comments on Freedom and Flourishing: Why do some people become grumpy senior citizens?Winton Bateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07383561940886657594noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089082204850170942.post-22254051596382451962015-05-25T14:44:25.080+10:002015-05-25T14:44:25.080+10:00Bibiana
Your comment gives me the opportunity to m...Bibiana<br />Your comment gives me the opportunity to mention that research findings suggest that people generally tend to become happier as they age - at least until they become very old. So, there is a good chance that you will become even more cheerful over the next decade or so.Winton Bateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07383561940886657594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089082204850170942.post-50281424782812686972015-05-25T11:56:46.469+10:002015-05-25T11:56:46.469+10:00I have met angry, discontented people of ALL ages....I have met angry, discontented people of ALL ages. I don't think the seniors are the only ones. I am 59 and suffer from arthritis, but I am a cheerful, friendly person. Bibiananoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089082204850170942.post-30073496199226770892011-03-31T21:07:55.529+11:002011-03-31T21:07:55.529+11:00Ha ha...'metaphorical mowing'...oh, I like...Ha ha...'metaphorical mowing'...oh, I like the sound of that...now if the mower, mowing and mowed realized their oneness, there would be a blissful experience... :)Thought Bubble Tenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13665668153611429559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089082204850170942.post-27820231274946318102011-03-31T20:58:31.919+11:002011-03-31T20:58:31.919+11:00TBT: Hmm, well first there was the mowing, then th...TBT: Hmm, well first there was the mowing, then there were the other things - metaphorical mowing:)Winton Bateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07383561940886657594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089082204850170942.post-8708634640851485892011-03-31T20:02:17.492+11:002011-03-31T20:02:17.492+11:00PS I just got this in my mailbox and had to share ...PS I just got this in my mailbox and had to share it given its timely relevance...<br /><br />http://www.synergyspanishsystems.com/blog/fiesta/<br /><br />Also, if you get the chance, do check out my new blog:<br /><br />http://passionplayandpurpose.blogspot.comThought Bubble Tenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13665668153611429559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089082204850170942.post-81068977055243586242011-03-31T19:38:15.906+11:002011-03-31T19:38:15.906+11:00Hey Winton, no need to apologize...I know how busy...Hey Winton, no need to apologize...I know how busy you've been with your mowing LOL<br /><br />Let me tell you what I think about aging and grumpiness. I think that grumpiness makes a person age. So, you had better get out of your grumpiness over unwinnable wars, or as I see it, any war, winnable or otherwise :)<br /><br />We are getting better in some ways wrt to using prior knowledge in the workforce but the tendency to assume various things about a person based on their age is still deeply engrained in most people's minds. <br /><br />Notice how many people feel compelled to ask your age, whether directly or obtusely so that they can compartmentalize you with their learned correlates???<br /><br />Are you sure they weren't just being polite wrt to your increased wisdom??? Ha ha ha...just kidding...I'm sure you are wiser now than you were before but I'd put that down to learning from experiences rather than some number...although 42 would be a good one if you had to choose a number (a la Hitchhikers Guide... :))Thought Bubble Tenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13665668153611429559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089082204850170942.post-71265519890487997202011-03-31T12:20:58.347+11:002011-03-31T12:20:58.347+11:00TBT: I’m sorry it has taken me so long to respond....TBT: I’m sorry it has taken me so long to respond. Over the last few days it has been difficult to get the time to give your comments the attention they deserve.<br /><br />I think your short answer is basically right. However, some people do cultivate grumpiness. The happy boy can choose to become an ‘angry young man’ (e.g. angry with the politicians who get us involved in unwinnable foreign wars) and then end up as a grumpy old man. I know how easy that is :)<br /><br />I hadn’t previously thought of the senior’s card as compensation for the marginalization of old people. You might be right about that. There is still some age-based discrimination around.<br /><br />Could this tokenism contribute to grumpiness? Yes, I think it could. There are certainly a lot of people around (some less than 50 years old) who complain that they are discriminated against in the workforce. My feeling is that this kind of discrimination tends to sort itself out. There is a strong incentive for enlightened employers to seek out people who are discriminated against by other employers. They tend to get better value for money from the people they employ.<br /><br />Do youthful senior citizens dislike categorization as ‘senior citizens’? I can only speak for myself. I don’t like the senior citizen label. If people want to say I am old, let them say it. I don’t consider myself to be an old man yet, but I would much rather be spoken of as an old man than as a senior citizen.<br /> <br />The financial perks associated with the card are significant – particularly in relation to public transport in capital cities. I think it is a scandal that this benefit is provided to old people without any means test (except that they are not working full time) and without any requirement that it is only available for use in off-peak periods. <br /><br />However, my views may be coloured by the fact that I feel that I received positive discrimination in my favour as I aged. I think a lot of people I worked with actually thought I had become wiser as I became older.Winton Bateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07383561940886657594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089082204850170942.post-66032816333814558152011-03-28T01:11:58.631+11:002011-03-28T01:11:58.631+11:00The short answer to your question is: People becom...The short answer to your question is: People become grumpy senior citizens because it is a natural progression from being grumpy junior citizens :)<br /><br />As for the long answer...oh, where do I start??? Along with advancing chronologically, the senior citizen must be compensated for being subtly marginalized out of mainstream society. This is done with token recognition by governments and well-meaning, *younger* citizens. Could this tokenism contribute to their grumpiness, do you think?<br /><br />The fact that a number i.e. an age is used to determine a person's status in society could also be another reason for grumpiness. <br /><br />Wouldn't it be more polite/respectful to ask a person if they would like to be considered a *senior* citizen and be bestowed with the *benefits* that this status attracts? After all, not every advancing person wishes to be placed in the category of *senior* citizen.<br /><br />While there may be some monetary perks that apply, there could well be less beneficial psychological effects from this kind of categorization for the more *youthful* senior citizen...<br /><br />Just a few thoughts...:)Thought Bubble Tenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13665668153611429559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089082204850170942.post-51086065297498545982011-03-25T17:29:56.514+11:002011-03-25T17:29:56.514+11:00Yes, the ultimatum game is about psychology. I don...Yes, the ultimatum game is about psychology. I don't think I would ever reject an offer if I didn't know who I was playing against and I was sure that only one game would be played. However, things are different in the real world where we often know who is making the offer and the game is ongoing so there is potential to get some benefit from encouraging them to behave more fairly in future.Winton Bateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07383561940886657594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089082204850170942.post-35409686372634185172011-03-25T12:51:24.190+11:002011-03-25T12:51:24.190+11:00The ultimatum game appears to be about psychology....The ultimatum game appears to be about psychology. I doubt that has any bearing on philosophy. If I were made to play the ultimatum game, I'd probably come out of it with a case of PTSD.Lorrainehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13567383019731167967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089082204850170942.post-75326850383601303672011-03-25T07:57:51.463+11:002011-03-25T07:57:51.463+11:00Hi Lorraine
I agree that people who say things lik...Hi Lorraine<br />I agree that people who say things like, 'life is supposed to be unfair' do tend to be grumpy(and mean). However, I don't think many libertarians would say that life is supposed to be unfair. The benefits of norms of fairness (just conduct) are widely recognized by libertarians.<br /><br />Would libertarians tend to make and accept unfair offers in the ultimatum game? Perhaps. My reason for expecting this is that many libertarians have training in economics and their behaviour has been influenced by the economic rationality assumption - despite the fact that it is just a behavioural assumption used in economic analysis rather than a guide to behaviour.Winton Bateshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07383561940886657594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1089082204850170942.post-30053723134214745862011-03-25T02:14:33.030+11:002011-03-25T02:14:33.030+11:00Why do some people classify fairness as a social p...Why do some people classify fairness as a social pathology? Those who are more frank in their social darwinism (or libertarianism, take your pick, same damn thing) say things like 'life is supposed to be unfair, get used to it.' I think most people (let's say, normal people) would classify those people as far grumpier than people who value fairness, even if 'vindictively' at times.Lorrainehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13567383019731167967noreply@blogger.com