Old people do possess wisdom

I’m not sure if it’s just because I spend a lot more time these days with people over the age of 50, but I find myself speechless whenever I have a conversation with these “timers”. I’m part of a group in my Church where the average age is 55. I think sometimes that if I wasn’t there we would be closer to an average of 70. I will be speechless because they start dropping pearls of wisdom from their life experience that really make me think.

Today I had a conversation with someone in their 60’s who has made a living as a franchisee. The topic of conversation was the most difficult time of his life between 2012 and 2014. He was at odds with a franchisor who seemed determined to see this guy’s business close. The old man was telling me how hard it was to keep his wits about him, maintain his livelihood and maintain healthy intra family relationships during this period. He had some crazy war stories about how the franchisor used to send spies to his stores in the hope of catching him breaching his contract. It was a very interesting discussion.

I have decided today to try and distill all the interesting insights from the oldies into one blog. Big disclaimer as an illusion of being balanced is that I do recognise that there are some terrible grumpy timers out there ( is that you former President Mugabe?). For the purposes of this blog post let’s pretend they don’t exist. Thank you😄

1. The sense of there being a point where you have enough

A colleague of mine remarked how he gets frustrated because he tries so hard to invest into the well-being of his parents. But no matter how much he tries to spoil them, they are more concerned about his own happiness and well-being. “Don’t worry, we are fine” is the familiar refrain from parents whose car has broken down, or whose houses have been broken into.

I think as people grow older they appreciate the value of what they have worked hard to build or acquire, but there is a sense of there being a limit to how much stuff is needed to have a happy life. The happiest oldies seem to be those who have stopped chasing. Who have reached the point of enough. Concern shifts from personal achievement and goals to that of other people, other family members and the broader community.

2. The ability not to hide their values

I find the oldies to be very quick to communicate their values. If someone behaves in a way that is contrary to their values they don’t entertain it or compromise. They walk away from lucrative opportunities that don’t sit well with who they are. There is nothing that is worth pursuing at all costs.

I find that younger generations tend to capitulate in marginal calls. We betray our values for short term gain. The oldies. Not so much! It could be that they do not have the proverbial effs to give. However, I believe that after a life spent on small compromises they reach a point where the big things are the only important things left.

3. An ability to judge character very quickly

I have been in many business interactions with older people where they have met someone for the first time. When alone they sometimes give me a view of what they thought of the particular individual. It’s scary but in more cases than not, their assessment is on the mark.

I have seen people given the nickname of “the promiser” or “the big man” as caricatures of the vibe they give during these interactions. I don’t understand how they do it, but older people seem to read into things people say and do with far greater insight. It makes so much sense why my parents used to insist that I discuss important decisions with my grandparents.

4. A sense of curiosity

I believe that as the world changes older people do not stop being curious about the changes they see around them. They may not understand it all but they certainly do want to be a part of it. Studies also show that the peak age range of starting businesses in the US is between the ages of 45 and 55. Why do we then treat older people like they have suddenly become less relevant to society? Stats show that some of the most active Facebook users are above the age of 50.

Closer to home my own grandmother who lives in rural Zimbabwe can easily operate her cellphone and DSTV decoder without any issues. It’s not boring or intimidating to her and she can interrupt her grandchildren at work whenever she wants. Any new technology she sees she will ask about, even if there is an irritating level of curiosity in how sitting in front of a computer actually constitutes work.

5. The ability to accept that their lives are closer to ending while still maintaining a long term view

I find older people tend to spend more time thinking about the future than younger people. They want to know in April what the Christmas plans are and when planting the crop are already thinking about who will harvest it.

Even as they approach their final years there is still a dominant future theme in conversations with them. In many cases it is obvious that the future they are discussing with me will happen without them. I believe in business that is one of the things that makes them successful. They never stop building.

So where does this leave us?

The sweet spot must be being in a position where you have youthful energy and societal relevance as well as the wisdom of a 70 year old. Until science catches up this remains unattainable. Shout out to all the senior citizens in society. Thank you for your role in all the good things we experience daily that you contributed to. Thank you for taking the time to share some of this wisdom with ankle biters like me from time to time.