What is meant when people say an old person "becomes irrelevant"?

[Calico]

Have a source for these accusations or conclusions?

 

[NW-Bound]

I know! That's how I feel when I see ill-natured comments about "fading into irrelevancy." The commenter isn't feeling too relevant, is my suspicion! Things aren't going too well, and it's easy to blame some group that one doesn't currently belong to.

My job forced me to be relevant. That was a major reason for me retiring as I wanted to be irrelevant. In fact not only am I irrelevant, anything I do is irrelevant. Retirement is working out as planned.

7 years after I stopped work, people where I last worked still asked if I wanted to come back to help out. Engineering knowledge, actually applied mathematics in this case, is always relevant, particularly in this arcane field that I spent a few years in my career studying to develop an expertise.

Nobody ever asks for or values my opinions on politics, literature, arts, economics, or humanities in general. I am not relevant there. And I do not care.

 

[AnonEMouse]

How did this devolve into another generational warfare thread?

Anyways,

relevance: relation to the matter at hand

The question is, what is the "matter at hand?"

Without knowing that, "irrelevant" just seems like a general complaint that no one values your opinion anymore.

 

[Amethyst]

How did this devolve into another generational warfare thread?

Probably because we all know that when people attack "old people" on discussion fora, it's one particular generation they have in mind? And it ain't the Depression-era kids.

Anyways,

relevance: relation to the matter at hand

The question is, what is the "matter at hand?"

Without knowing that, "irrelevant" just seems like a general complaint that no one values your opinion anymore.

The comments I was thinking about were all pretty general, so I suspect you are correct. As some have mentioned, it's pretty rare that anybody values anybody's opinion,unless they want to go out with you and that's seldom on the table with old people. Everyone else's insights were helpful to my understanding, as well.

 

[Lsbcal]

....
The comments I was thinking about were all pretty general, so I suspect you are correct. As some have mentioned, it's pretty rare that anybody values anybody's opinion,unless they want to go out with you and that's seldom on the table with old people. Everyone else's insights were helpful to my understanding, as well.

+1 I have to continuously remind myself of your comment in red. Even here we see plenty of threads where the poster has obviously not read the previous comments but has to get their 2 cents in anyway.

Now if you want my opinion ....

 

[Bir48die]

How did this devolve into another generational warfare thread?

Anyways,

relevance: relation to the matter at hand

The question is, what is the "matter at hand?"

Without knowing that, "irrelevant" just seems like a general complaint that no one values your opinion anymore.

I confess.

 

[Lawrencewendall]

I keep reminding myself that advice is often given but rarely taken. That's why I keep my mouth shut. Usually a waste of time.

 

[Rianne]

When I see an older person, older than me, I see wisdom and experience. My DH grandmother passed at 101. She was born in 1904. I cherished talking with her about anything. Setting aside trends, education, innovation, AI etc. there is a lifeline that extends from generation to generation that provides a sense of wisdom and common sense. DGM was not educated in today's definition of education. She was not wealthy in her youth. She lived before the industrial age, before cars, phones, bathrooms etc were available to the general public. So, grandparents are relevant. The elderly are relevant. Old people are relevant.

 

[AnonEMouse]

I keep reminding myself that advice is often given but rarely taken. That's why I keep my mouth shut. Usually a waste of time.

That reminds me of the humorous article:

"Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young"

Full article here:
https://www.chicagotribune.com/columns/chi-schmich-sunscreen-column-column.html

"Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen."


I think we can all use a bit of levity.

 

[nancyfrank232]

What is meant when people say an old person "becomes irrelevant"?

I keep reminding myself that advice is often given but rarely taken. That's why I keep my mouth shut. Usually a waste of time.

I wish more seniors would follow your lead

Many believe they are wise but once they open their mouth you realize that they’re just old

 

[REWahoo]

I wish more seniors would follow your lead

Maybe you can set the example should you ever become a senior.

 

[pj.mask]

I find it funny on how the question was asked on how the youth use a word, an answer was given (with agreement on the meaning),and it was followed by 6 pages of posts (by self identified older people) giving their opinions on how they think it should be defined and saying that other people’s opinions don’t matter.

I only find it so funny because the topic about being irrelevant was about old people ignoring changing times/well accepted facts and instead voicing their opinions on how it should be (or was believe to be correct with outdated information/customs). I found this tread self fulfilling.

 

[nancyfrank232]

What is meant when people say an old person "becomes irrelevant"?

I find it funny on how the question was asked on how the youth use a word, an answer was given (with agreement on the meaning),and it was followed by 6 pages of posts (by self identified older people) giving their opinions on how they think it should be defined and saying that other people’s opinions don’t matter.

I only find it so funny because the topic about being irrelevant was about old people ignoring changing times/well accepted facts and instead voicing their opinions on how it should be (or was believe to be correct with outdated information/customs). I found this tread self fulfilling.

+ 1 Bingo!

Seniors just can’t help themselves

They’re the architects of their own irrelevance

 

[Lsbcal]

My interpretation is that old people sometimes have no clue how things are different now and have strong opinions of beliefs on how things should be done based on their life experience that is not ‘relevant’ to today’s life.

An example is some old boomer talking about how sad it is that kids today don’t know/learn cursive and how that is one of the reasons why kids these days are having such a hard time in the economy.

This same boomer constantly asks for help doing basic things on the computer and probably has no idea about coding or writing macros (that probably replace the time spent learning cursive).

The newer generation faces new challenges and their learning and ways of doing things have adapted. If you can’t/won’t see that but insist on pushing antiquated ideas - you’re not very relevant to today’s society.

This usually isn’t used at people who are kind/understanding. More at people who try to push their dated opinions of complaints onto newer generations.

OK, I went back and looked for some of your previous comments. Yes, some older people do live in the past. But you can find many in all age groups that have odd notions.

I wish cursive were still being taught and frankly don't know how many schools don't teach it. Is it necessary, perhaps not. My cursive is getting worse as I use the computer a heck of a lot these days. I certainly don't think knowing cursive would solve kid's problems (if they have any) in today's economy.

I think I'm very computer literate so don't fit your "some boomers" model. You seem to be painting with a very broad brush. Generalizations can get us all in trouble and I've been know to get stuck on that one too.

 

[Lsbcal]

+ 1 Bingo!

Seniors just can’t help themselves

They’re the architects of their own irrelevance

So *all* people over 65 are "architects of their own irrelevance"?

 

[HFWR]

So *all* people over 65 are "architects of their own irrelevance"?

I think I’ve found a new sig...

 

[audreyh1]

Of course we do! We're just people after all...

Dang, never realized Omar Sharif was in that.

 

[Lawrencewendall]

I wish more seniors would follow your lead

Many believe they are wise but once they open their mouth you realize that they’re just old

+1 Get off my lawn!

 

[like2]

 

[Amethyst]

Suspect the poster was using "boomer" as a catch-all for "old people."

In the mid-90's, our agency got rid of a lot of "secretarial" positions because personal computers had been on nearly every desk since the late 80's. This caused a number of high-ranking men, born in the 1930's, to retire because, never having learned to "type," they were now irrelevant.

I'm sure there are people, born after 1946 and thus in the "boom" generation, who couldn't deal with the PCs either; but I haven't met any.

.

I think I'm very computer literate so don't fit your "some boomers" model. You seem to be painting with a very broad brush. .

 

[audreyh1]

I’m a late boomer and very computer literate. Hard not to be when you have an MS in computer engineering! DH is also an engineer, more mid boomer and even more up on the latest computer stuff.

Seems like broad brushes here. Yes, there are plenty of seniors with rigid attitudes, but I see that in other ages too - willful ignorance, blinders on, opinionated and unwilling to hear otherwise. Whatever.

My well-traveled, depression-era parents were never like that and handled computers quite well too in spite of no math/science background. Well Dad none at all, mom had a masters in statistics and exposure to those room sized computers way back when. They both started using personal computers back from the Apple IIe days. So back in the 80s.

 

[griffithee]

Gen x just sitting back watching the world burn

Okay boomers... [emoji12]

 

[Amethyst]

Perhaps that is the essence of irrelevance...ceasing to care.

 

[NW-Bound]

... Yes, some older people do live in the past...

I don't think I live in the past, but I try not to forget it. I do cherish good memories, but also do not want to repeat my past mistakes.

"Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again." -- George Bernard Shaw

 

[Lsbcal]

I don't think I live in the past, but I try not to forget it. I do cherish good memories, but also do not want to repeat my past mistakes.

"Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again." -- George Bernard Shaw

Yes, and I suppose many of our past mistakes were just ours personally. Lessons that we sometimes had to learn the hard way. So sometimes I might tell DS something that I feel strongly about because I was so clueless in the past.