Anonymous wrote:I’ve noticed several of my relatives - parents, aunts, uncles - are starting to act a bit different as they get older. Most of them are in their 60’s. Some go very extreme in terms of political beliefs (in either direction). Others become more milquetoast.

I’m not the only one in my family to see this, when I’ve spoken about this with my younger relatives they see it too. It’s just weird because people I’ve known my whole life are different people from 15-20 years ago.

Is this a normal thing that happens with aging?

You’re aging at the same time as your relatives, just a little behind them. Do you have the same thoughts as you did in high school or has life experience changed your views a little?

Dementia and more fixed beliefs.

The older you get, the less of a F you give about judgement.

I'm feeling it now in my mid 40s. When you've self censored for so long, you grow tired of it and your filter subsides.

As someone who is getting up there in years (57), I can only speak from personal experience.

As I have gotten older I have experienced certain personality changes, though mine are minor and far ➕ few between.
I find that I have to stay focused so that I do not let myself act “old.”

It is sometimes a struggle but it is important to me to not act like my parents used to.

Hope this makes some sense.

Anonymous wrote:Retirees are way too online these days.

In the Dark Ages when you needed a .edu to get a Facebook account, I noticed a lot of folks became more scared of the world as they aged. Men who had seen combat and suffered every difficulty would suddenly start paying for every indulgence. The prospect of their ends changed them.

Today, older folks who do not have real-world hobbies (e.g., watching grandkids or meaningful part-time work), spiral in online forums that brook no dissent. Those stringent political beliefs make it harder to hold normal conversations. Also, older folks lack the neuroplasticity necessary to adapt their beliefs as information becomes available. To be fair, younger folks have a hard enough time but most older folks are completely incapable.