cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/28878325
In the last 4 weeks I’ve worked with several people over 60 and I don’t like what I saw: slow giving report or describing a problem, fixation on trivialities about a client’s appearance or something funny he did instead of getting directly to the point and doing our jobs, incapable of coping with new forms of communication, feeling they are your supervisor, even though they’re not, criticizing you for ‘wasting’ paper or erasers, telling you how they dislike other coworkers, even though I just met this person 2 hours ago, acting as if only their way of doing things is the right one, then they pretend to be your friend and ask questions about your personal life which I deflect as good as I can.
I don’t like working with people like this, it’s very draining and I don’t want to become this kind of person.
How do I make sure not to become this kind of person?
I’ve seen the same thing in some people over 60. The ones that don’t do this are the ones that continue to embrace new ideas, read, travel to experience other cultures, and learn/speak additional languages.
I don’t know if there is a magic formula to avoid the fate you’re describing. I’m doing what I’m seeing those that don’t fall into that trap do.
Do shit. Do shit you don’t know how to do and figure it out.
And don’t give up if you make a mistake. Learning from a mistake is a great way to become better.
This is important. Learning involves change based on a balance of positive and negative feedback. Be comfortable making mistakes and learning not to repeat them in other contexts. Also learn how to use mistakes to improve on methods that didn’t seem like mistakes at the time.
Read books.
Reading is the best simple advice.
Reading will keep the mind agile because it
- builds empathy, you will be less likely to disregard other ways of doing things
- gives perspective
- is an active way to learn which makes learning other things feel less arduous. In other words you are giving yourself one less reason to become jaded
The reasons go on and can be explained better. I recommend finding out about it and making reading a habit because the benefits, while not immediately obvious, are incredible and everyone should do it.
Stay curious about the world around you and improving your arsenal of skills. Skills and knowledge are the one thing nobody can take away from you, and that you only get through hard work and dedication to a craft or multiple crafts.
Get into and out of new things all the time, or focus on one new thing until you run it into the ground. Do whatever your excitement leads you.
Learning about new technologies, playing with them and practicing with them are the core of what keeps us sharp and young. You’re only old once you start believing you have everything figured out.
I think working on your emotional intelligence will help. You won’t have such a hard time accepting new facts into your life when you don’t feel like your life depends on it. Idk if I get my point across
