5/6/2016–Age matters little, is a misleading metric, and is overrated. As Tommy would say, “age is just a number.”
Certainly a difference of 50 years between two people is a reliable difference when comparing them; but when instructing, evaluating, communicating, and especially managing an individual, age becomes virtually a non-sequitur for guiding behavior. Conversely, we instructors, evaluators, etc. want a short-cut to explaining people, and give too much value to an individual’s age.
Increasingly, case studies, experiments, and anecdotes show young people’s ability to make wise decisions when guided, and old people’s equal fallibility. I argue the difference is more due to each person’s environment and loose relationships than to their age. Again, age definitely correlates to effective behavior. However, that correlation is weaker than the correlation of encouragement to effective behavior.
Consider how varied are the lives of different teens who’ve gone through a traumatic event. Keeping age constant, it’s clear that age doesn’t predict their responses or future success. The point of recognizing and acting on this is that we must be missing massive opportunities to create value. When I treat each 10-yr old I meet as if they can’t understand and contribute to a problem I have, I’m delaying or diluting any solution I end up with. Likewise, if I seek guidance from only those who’ve lived to a certain age or if I withhold topics of conversation from my grandparents due to age, I’m either way missing potentially valuable insight (innovation, in the former case, and long-term effects in the latter).
Dating is an example we all experience. How foolish is it to consider an age difference between us and the person we want to approach, when two minutes of conversation can tell us more about their state of mind and our compatibility? Considering we’re talking about a potential life-long relationship, where is the prudence in avoiding a conversation with someone–even a date–based only on age? Of course I don’t mean 40 year olds are appropriate to seek 20 year olds–I mean age within a reasonable estimate of a stage of life. Those within the same stage of life may be 5, even 10 years apart in age, but it’s easy to imagine a 22 year old raised by a single parent, in a tough situation most of their life being of a similar mindset and ethical maturity level as a 30 year old. If they totally “click”, I’d argue they have as good a chance to make it as any couple. Again, dating is just an easy example to imagine.
Generally, disregarding age in everyday interactions with people is more effective with proper values and manners. Why should I pay more attention to my elders than my neighbor’s kids? Pay attention to and respect both. Ask them each for some advice on solving an issue. This is a sure-fire way to earn respect from younger peers, family, employees, etc. How is that a bad thing?
One trick I’ve found helpful to make this real is to view people as souls who act out by using a body. The people you see and hear immediately become equal when you do this. If a person in torn, dirty clothing is next to a person in a business suit, imagining them as two souls who just have different clothes on makes you pay closer attention to the words they say, their facial expressions, their tone of voice, and other indicators of their character, which is what really matters about a person. In this way, a child and an old man begin from an equal level when you meet them. Don’t handicap people by limiting their potential value to their age.
QOTW: “Fulfillment is an art.” – Tony
?FNW: What % goals do I hit? 80%
11/29/2017 review–Not much to add here, it’s an example of unconscious bias that should be getting more attention. We benefit greatly when we bring these biases to our attention and mitigate them with more effective behavior.