General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: What's with all the Ageism in These Threads?? [View all]Egnever
(21,506 posts)This a million times this.
Far too easy to fall into comfortable patterns and to stop thinking outside the box as you get older. The older you get the less likely you are to push the boundaries, to take risk.
Now you could certainly argue that might be a useful quality in a president, but there is also a strong argument on the other side. Wisdom is not something to be scoffed at but then neither is an openness to new ideas.
I would say for me it depends highly on the individual I am discussing. If the person genuinely seems vibrant and in tune with the times
I don't care how old they are. If they are relying on age old party norms to build their platforms I would certainly look at that as an indication that they have passed the point of being receptive to new information.
As someone in their early 50s I can already feel the temptation to play it safe where before I would have taken the chance without the reluctance I would feel now straying from the beaten path.
We evolve. A basketball player 50 years ago could not compete with the players of today. The young learn from the old and improve it is the nature of our existence. That is not to say an older person is useless, for some situations they are exactly the right choice because of their wisdom or experience or even level headed approach, but it is the youth the majority of the time IMHO that pushes us forward.