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Quote of the Day - Everything

Seawriter
@Seawriter
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The old believe everything, the middle-aged suspect everything, and the young know everything. – Oscar Wilde

I am not sure how accurate this quote is. I am old. I believe in God, but I verify everything else before I believe it. This was true even when I was middle-aged. Perhaps I am perpetually middle-aged.

My brother, on the other hand, two years younger than me (also old), still knows everything. Just ask him. I guess that makes him perpetually young.

One thing that is dead on is that the young know everything. Just ask them. I know I knew everything until my 25th (or so) birthday. I had graduated into suspecting everything by the time I hit forty.

Perhaps the problem is the quote's author, Oscar Wilde, never got to be old. He died at 46. He experienced youth and middle age, but never became old. So the last two-thirds are true because he lived them. But he only learned about the behavior of the old by observation.

One thing about old folks: They are more than willing to let you think them more simple-minded than they actually are. That leads people to underestimate them. Old age provides a wealth of experience to draw upon. But it also removes the strength, speed, and looks you had in your youth. You want every edge you can get.

Being underestimated is a definite edge. Experience teaches that.

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Discussion (12)

  • Al Sparks@AlSparks
    Seawriter (View Post):

    They are more than willing to let you think them more simple-minded than they actually are. That leads people to underestimate you. Old age provides a wealth of lived experience to draw upon. But it also removes the strength, speed, and looks you had in your youth. You want every edge you can get.

    A couple of days ago, I was getting a haircut. My barber was talking about Social Security. He said they should call a constitutional convention to mandate it and bypass Congress.

    I said very little. Never get into an argument with someone who is cutting your hair.

    I walked out of there with a nice haircut. And I tipped him for his work.

  • GLDIII Purveyor of Splendid Malpropisms@GLDIII
    ReplyingtoAl Sparks
    Seawriter (View Post):

    They are more than willing to let you think them more simple-minded than they actually are. That leads people to underestimate you. Old age provides a wealth of lived experience to draw upon. But it also removes the strength, speed, and looks you had in your youth. You want every edge you can get.

    Al Sparks (View Comment):

    A couple of days ago, I was getting a haircut. My barber was talking about Social Security. He said they should call a constitutional convention to mandate it and bypass Congress.

    I said very little. Never get into an argument with someone who is cutting your hair.

    I walked out of there with a nice haircut. And I tipped him for his work.

    So he wants to ratify intergenerational theft? Statistically we take far more out than we put in. If you want to enshrine some sort of personal 401 type accounts knock yourself out. Plus it gets the government out of the money mismanagement of our taxes to perhaps an over sight of the institutions that would in fact manage the Investiments and would be available to help capitalism rather than government favoritism. But it’s not going to happen until it collapses. I doubt I’ll be around to see it so good luck to whomever is left.

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