It is clear that as we grow older, our values, understanding and goals in life change. What didn’t make sense or didn't look so important looks different now, we start to understand that not all adults are smart, and that spending all our money on candy in fact may be not the best idea, and so on.
To learn more about the human mind, Bored Panda reached out to Hanan Parvez, a psychologist and the creator of PsychMechanics.
To begin with, with adulthood, in most cases, comes career advancement, thus we asked Hanan how it impacts individuals' priorities and values: “Career-driven people tend to put a lot of time and energy into their careers and this often comes at the expense of other life areas, such as health and relationships.”
He added that when people reach their career goals, they look back at their lives and wish they'd invested more in other life areas. “I've come across a story of a billionaire who was so career-driven that he hardly put any time into his health and relationships,” Hanan told Bored Panda. “On his deathbed, he regretted it terribly. It's a good reminder that balance is key to a good life.”
Now, probably many of you will agree that seeking and valuing others’ opinions also change as we age. “There's a saying that when we're in our teens we think everyone's thinking about us. But when we reach middle age, we realize no one has been thinking about us. They've all been thinking about themselves,” emphasized Hanan.
He noted that during adolescence and teenage years, there's a greater need to be 'cool' and accepted by others. The reason behind it is because you are beginning to explore the world and hopefully attract a partner.
“Although this approval-seeking tendency decreases as we age, I don't think it can go away completely. It's part of being human,” Hanan explained. “We want to be accepted by our tribe. The reason this tendency decreases with age is that we become wiser and understand others better. We learn that others are too caught up in their own lives to pay much attention to us.”
Finally, getting older is unavoidable - unfortunately or fortunately, it depends on our point of view. However, as with everything else, there are quite a few stereotypes about getting older that have an impact on the way society perceives and interacts with older people.
As harsh as it is, society tends to view older people, particularly very old people, negatively, as if they're useless and have nothing to contribute Hanan pointed out. “You hear people say things like, ‘What are you doing here? You should be playing chess with your buddies in an old age home, Grandpa.’”
“Needless to say, it's hurtful and makes older people feel that they don't belong, that they're some kind of a burden,” he added. “In truth, older people have a lot of wisdom to share. They may not know much about modern trends but experiential knowledge of having lived so many years can be a treasure trove.
So folks, don’t forget to check out the PsychMechanics site, where you can find intriguing, valuable, and useful information about the human mind in simple, easy-to-understand language!
Also, share with us if you can relate to any of the tweets shared in the thread. What, in your opinion, is that thing that you realized only as you got older? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
