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Ask HN: What is it like to be old? What advice would you give to younger people?

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Re: Ask HN: What is it like to be old? What advice would you give to younger people?

#281

Post by jesterson »

ashtonkem wrote: post #156
antognini wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One thing I'll add to this is to take care of your hearing. Some age-related hearing loss is inevitable, but you can reduce the amount of hearing loss you'll experience by minimizing your exposure to loud sounds. How loud is too loud? A rule of thumb is that if you walk around with earbuds and can clearly hear a podcast while standing next to a busy street, it is loud enough to damage your hearing. Hearing loss is a…

And don’t be afraid to wear earplugs. I used to commute via public transit with 25db earplugs in, to protect my hearing. It reduced my stress significantly to boot.

Would you mind to recommend a particular one to buy?

Re: Ask HN: What is it like to be old? What advice would you give to younger people?

#282

Post by amitoz_azad »

jedberg wrote: post #101

No matter how you live your youth, you will probably regret it when you are older. Unless you inherit so much money that you don't have to ever work in your life. If you spend your youth having fun and enjoying your youth, then when you get to middle age you'll have wished you worked harder and saved more so you could be wealthy and comfortable. If you work your butt off in your youth and have lots of money and succe…

That's dark

Re: Ask HN: What is it like to be old? What advice would you give to younger people?

#283

Post by quickthrower2 »

mixologic wrote: post #174
gautamcgoel wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you please expand on that advice? What should we be paying attention to?

Your teeth. Pay attention to your dental health.

Take care of the big 3: Dental, mental and genital.

Re: Ask HN: What is it like to be old? What advice would you give to younger people?

#284

Post by quickthrower2 »

gautamcgoel wrote: post #78
irvingprime wrote: post #72

What's it like to be old? My boss is younger than I am and is absolutely sure he knows more about my job than I do, even though I've been doing it since before he was born and he never did it at all. People on TV keep trying to sell me stuff like Metamucil, some new kind of cane or similar silly gadget, or a scam investment, none of which I want. My grandkids can't understand why I can't read things they're holding r…

Can you please expand on that advice? What should we be paying attention to?

Whatever advice an older person can give it is problematic in that it is only one point of view, and might be wholly inapplicable to your life given the fact you are a different person raised in different circumstances. You’d be hard pressed to find a counsellor having heard you rant for 100 hours give you advice. They only give you tools.

I’m older and I realise myself that I need advice, I’m not in need of giving it.

Re: Ask HN: What is it like to be old? What advice would you give to younger people?

#285

Post by amitoz_azad »

somberi wrote: post #58

I am 47. This Buddhist quote captures the rapidity of life - "Days are long; Decades are short". Be kind. Really try to be kind. As young person, I am sure you already can recollect a few instances you have been kind; increase the frequency and amplitude of it.

This post is so much full of wisdom.

Re: Ask HN: What is it like to be old? What advice would you give to younger people?

#286

Post by 946789987649 »

nujabe wrote: post #190
irvingprime wrote: post #72

What's it like to be old? My boss is younger than I am and is absolutely sure he knows more about my job than I do, even though I've been doing it since before he was born and he never did it at all. People on TV keep trying to sell me stuff like Metamucil, some new kind of cane or similar silly gadget, or a scam investment, none of which I want. My grandkids can't understand why I can't read things they're holding r…

Thank you for your post. I have a question, and I really don't intend to be mean spirited even though it may come across as such. >I don't have enough money to retire but dream of it every day (See the above comment about my boss). Software development (assuming you are are a developer) is a very well paid profession, and has been for many decades. This is the only profession where people who are 4 years out of schoo…

I worked for a retail bank who had data that 50% of people earning up to around (I think) £70k had less than £100 in savings. Some people are very bad at saving, no matter how much they earn.

Re: Ask HN: What is it like to be old? What advice would you give to younger people?

#287

Post by ashtonkem »

jesterson wrote: post #281
ashtonkem wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And don’t be afraid to wear earplugs. I used to commute via public transit with 25db earplugs in, to protect my hearing. It reduced my stress significantly to boot.

Would you mind to recommend a particular one to buy?

Not in particular. Earplugs are well regulated by the dB reduction they offer, the only other thing that matters is going to be fit, which is extremely personal. I’d recommend going with cheap disposable ones, since they tend to get pretty gross easily.

Re: Ask HN: What is it like to be old? What advice would you give to younger people?

#288

Post by thorin »

inglor_cz wrote: post #205

IDK if at 42 I am considered older, which means that I probably am. Do take care of your health. Really, do. Even though genetic makeup of our bodies obviously plays a role, at my age the gap between people who care and people who don't starts resembling a chasm. You have slender and vital fortysomethings that still hike in the mountains and you have 400lb T2 diabetes sufferers who have hard time tying their shoelace…

I not sure why you mention 40 somethings being still able to walk in the mountains. That seems pretty normal for my peer group, but I agree that might not be the case for others. My dad was able to do fairly strenuous days in the mountains easily in his 70s and goes hillwalking and fishing in his early 80s still. I don't really have a handle on how normal this is as most of my friends are kind of similar (UK based, but I know quite a lot of people overseas too)

Re: Ask HN: What is it like to be old? What advice would you give to younger people?

#289

Post by inglor_cz »

thorin wrote: post #288
inglor_cz wrote: post #205

IDK if at 42 I am considered older, which means that I probably am. Do take care of your health. Really, do. Even though genetic makeup of our bodies obviously plays a role, at my age the gap between people who care and people who don't starts resembling a chasm. You have slender and vital fortysomethings that still hike in the mountains and you have 400lb T2 diabetes sufferers who have hard time tying their shoelace…

I not sure why you mention 40 somethings being still able to walk in the mountains. That seems pretty normal for my peer group, but I agree that might not be the case for others. My dad was able to do fairly strenuous days in the mountains easily in his 70s and goes hillwalking and fishing in his early 80s still. I don't really have a handle on how normal this is as most of my friends are kind of similar (UK based, b…

From my former university and high school colleagues, about a third are already too obese. 50lb+ over healthy weight.

Another third is not yet as far gone, but still lead very sedentary lives, home to car to office to car to home.

Only the last third are people who could summit a 5000ft mountain without totally finishing themselves off.

Re: Ask HN: What is it like to be old? What advice would you give to younger people?

#290

Post by UK-Al05 »

nujabe wrote: post #190
irvingprime wrote: post #72

What's it like to be old? My boss is younger than I am and is absolutely sure he knows more about my job than I do, even though I've been doing it since before he was born and he never did it at all. People on TV keep trying to sell me stuff like Metamucil, some new kind of cane or similar silly gadget, or a scam investment, none of which I want. My grandkids can't understand why I can't read things they're holding r…

Thank you for your post. I have a question, and I really don't intend to be mean spirited even though it may come across as such. >I don't have enough money to retire but dream of it every day (See the above comment about my boss). Software development (assuming you are are a developer) is a very well paid profession, and has been for many decades. This is the only profession where people who are 4 years out of schoo…

Nearly every accountancy firm or management consultant firm you can achieve senior associate within 4 years.
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