Why are old people relatively close minded?

Question

comparing to younger generation

Answer 1

its just that they come from a different time.  things were a lot different for them and they just aren't ready to accept change.  for example i work in a nursing home and one of the patients always asks about my nose piercing.  it isn't anything extreme its just a small stud, but to him its bizarre.

Answer 2

It's harder to change something you've done and thought was right your whole life compared to a younger person.

Answer 3

They've actually considered and decided on a whole lot of things that younger people have not. Close-mindedness may also be called 'wisdom,' which means knowing what works and what doesn't.

Answer 4

Most of them aren't closed minded.  It's the attitude of the younger generation that makes them seem that way.

Let them have a chance to tell you things from their own experiences.  Listen, when they talk to you.

Most elderly people I know are intensely interested in life and what is going on around them.  They are usually competent with the internet and love to go to some of the sites that young people love.

Why don't you communicate with your grandmother (for example) on myspace or even Answers.  I think you will be surprised.

Answer 5

I don't believe all elderly people are close minded.  I believe some are, just as some young people are close minded.  What about the elderly who, after retiring, go back to college or take up new hobbies, or travel, or join the peace corps, or volunteer to work with students or hospitals?   These people are always looking for new challenges and doing things they've never done before.

Answer 6

Well it's two things, in part they are close-minded and in part they are wiser.

Sometimes they are somewhat close-minded. When you have lived a certain way so long it's hard to change things. Old habits die hard, you can't teach an old dogs new tricks etc etc.

On the other hand, sometimes they seem close-minded, when in actuality, they just know better. Maybe they have experienced a situation before, first-hand or through someone else. They don't need to consider it, they've already lived it.

Answer 7

Because they were raised that way. The older generation grew up in a time that was very different than ours. It was a lot more conservative and a lot more close minded. Our generation is a lot more accepting of people from different backgrounds, different races, religions, sexual orientations, etc. I think people are taking your question wrong. It's not that the older generation isn't wise (because they certainly are). You gain knowledge from your experiences, and they have had many more experiences than we have. But even when they were as young as we are, they were still generally close minded about the issues of race/religion/sexual orientation. Our generation grew up in a time where these issues don't matter as much. I think most of us know that people are people, and deserve to be treated equally no matter who they are or where they come from.

Answer 8

They are not close minded - they are SMARTER and have been through it all and seem closed minded to younger generations that THINK they know it all when they don't know c**p cuz they are TOO YOUNG TO KNOW BETTER and don't have the experiences of life that the older people have had..

Answer 9

What do you consider old????  We may see how open minded and intelligent you are , if you answer this.

  My son seems to think i'm very open minded . Sometimes more than him.  :)

Answer 10

each successive generation will always be more liberal than the previous generation... because societal norms and practices become more open and fluid as time passes!  It's just the way things are.    Your grandparents will probably say THEIR parents were more conservative than they are, etc.

Answer 11

i suppose it has something to do with the way they were brought up.

i live in a very multicultural area, but when my grandmothers was younger it was only caucasion. So she doesn't want to accept other cultures or religions.

i find it funny though.

maybe because things have changed so much from when they were young regarding technology and what not. they jsut believe that there way was better because they worked harder and we get things so easliy now.

interesting question

Answer 12

It's because they realize how stupid they were at your age and how stupid you are now and if they would have listened to older people then their life would be different.  But they didn't and assume you won't either.

Answer 13

I definitely think that younger generations are much more open to new ideas because they're still learning. Older generations are probably wiser and they believe that and set themselves in their ways. They think that they have the right of passage to be close minded because they have all of this experience.

Answer 14

I learned from psychology that old people change their personality over time, it's a natural thing.

Answer 15

It's not that the young are open minded, it's that they are naive.

Answer 16

I beg to differ, I am 1 of those older people you re fare to, I am extremely open minded, though I do put forward my opinions in a rather strong way.

I find there is a great number of the younger generation here in Y.A/Q  that are extremely narrow (close)  minded

Answer 17

We have seen and lived too much.  Most of the older people I know are very open to new technology, most have computers and cell phones, even i-pods.  They travel as often and as long as health and finances permit.  They are politically active, more so than the younger generation, so I guess we aren't talking about the same old people.

Perhaps you think they are close minded because they are not giving you  the advice and information on life and life forming decisions that you want to hear.

Answer 18

because they've been around longer, therefore they know more.

Answer 19

Because they've grown up already. Younger people are still starting out.

Young people are trying to find their place in the world. They're trying out new ideas to see if they work for them. Older people have found what works for them, so they don't want to change.

Plus when you've thought a certain way for 40+ years, it's more difficult to change that way of thinking than it is for a 20 year old who really only started thinking for themselves sometime within the last 10 years.