I had the same thought -- " yet another writing by someone who's advice is 'do what I did' without any consideration beyond their own limited experience". This is especially frustrating when it comes from someone 20, 30, 40 years younger who doesn't have the life experience, much less can speak to your own life and how it should be managed. It worked for you, great, but don't assume to proselytize as if you're spouting truth.
Reminds me of a colleague in her 20s giving advices on how to raise children, without having on her own. I promptly put her on my ignore list.
Parenting advices are the worst type, I never listen to them. Each family and child is different, you cannot attribute any result to anything, and we all have differing values.
Elder people have a lot to say and some (not all) have a lot of wisdom. However I agree that whatever advice you take and follow, you will end up making mistake in other areas, so at the end of the day you have to live your own life, realise your own mistake and correct them.
Let's say it is interesting to hear their advice as they have more life experience. I would however not follow everything said as the context has probably changed, but I try to take out the useful information I could reuse
I am in my mid-30s and highly resistant to change; the article resonates. I'm not ready to leave my job (I have two more years of RSUs to collect), but I am moving houses within my city solely for the change of scenery and pattern. I expect in the next few years, unless I meet someone life-changing, that I will leave my city or even take a multi-year sabbatical until I feel the urge or need to go back to my profession.
Notable quotes:
>But for the relatively sane, by the time you’re mostly ready to leave a job, or a city, or a relationship, you probably have good reason to.
>At any given time, your motion is being constrained by an agglomeration of previous decisions made by a previous you, decisions that might have little to do with your current wants.
I think these are good points to consider if one is the kind of person who accumulates "stuff" or has existential anxiety.
This was a categorical statement about 20-somethings and as such isn't ad hominem. I would still say that if their advice was just as eloquently stated opposite.
My Latin is rusty, then it is perhaps "ad populum", attacking the people. In any case, you're not addressing the message.
"Ceterus paribus" yes, older people are more wise due to experience, but I have met 28 year olds which are much wiser than millions of old, insular, dumb 50-80 year olds.
Sometimes you have to address the merits of large groups of people however, no other way doing that. "Childless advice on parenting is dubious" in the sister comment for example. And come on, every one of us was in their 20s some time.
It is interesting as the later I get into my 50s, I start thinking more and more how I should never listen to what people over 50 say.
Life is non-ergodic and the older you get the more you are over fit to a time that no longer exists.
At least youthful ignorance has a chance of actually being right. There is a pseudo-wisdom that comes with age that is almost always wrong going forward.
This may be an artifact of our current times, which change so quickly that the wisdom older people accumulated through their life experiences may no longer be applicable to the current reality. But, throught history, older people often really were treasure troves of wisdom.
Enjoying the moment. The excitement of new experiences. Saying what you want without filters. And literally covering your ears, if there is too much noise, opposed to smiling and accepting all unpleasant things.
