The Relevance of Age?

By listing the age's of each user, this site brings some interesting dynamics into each thread.

Firstly, I would like to know if you feel this encourages any kind of prejudice when you read the post of someone perhaps older or younger than yourself?

Do you think it encourages a banding together of age groups mentality, in which posters might role play, and wage imaginary battles of a 'generation gap'?

Do you ever wonder if the age shown is a known fact or fictional?

Personally, I think it adds an interesting dynamic, but have also noticed that it does influence (and therefore prejudice) the way things are said or understood.

Thanks CynicAI,

..twas just a tad confusing, as all 3 of the links you provided reached exactly the same page.
However it made for some interesting reading...

Although no one seems to question whether the age's are genuine or not.
What do you think?
Do you some some could be pretending to be one age or another?

There are definitely a few fake ages around, as I'm sure I've seen at least one person one here with an age of 555. But as for more realistic ages I'm not entirely sure, though it is possible that some people could be faking their age. Though i think on here most people get taken seriously enough that they wouldn't really need to fake their age.

Just to clear something up as a couple of people have done this (so it's not just aimed at you chiron), it's Cynic-AL not AI the whole point was it was sposed to be a pun but it seems to have been lost on people .

on the upside however my post appears to be sorted, thanks decius, I'm not entirely sure what i managed to do to it.

I like your answer, thanks Decius.
(and I really like the age thing precisely for those reasons)

I had always imagined that the age thing might be a problem (most probably due to the fact that I wish I was still young! lol )

But I find myself constantly referring to the age's of each user, and this has given me such a different take on humanity as a whole.

I likewise marvel at the (advanced) ages of some users who's posts reflect a mentality straight from the dark ages, and that reminds me never to make assumptions about age and wisdom for example. And it also allows me to appreciate diversity and contrast to good effect.

PS: CynicAL, I actually did appreciate your pun (I thought it was really cute!), but every time I typed it out I would compare it to your avatar, and wonder why there was'nt a little leg on the 'L'.

(And just by the way: you have more than once helped me find my way around this 'campus', so just wanted to mention my appreciation, thats all.)

I'd like to add comments for a given person, rather than for observing generalities.

The advantage of being young is to have imagination and spirit, which could possibly be caused by a lack of experience.

The advantage of being old is to have experience, which may, generally, reduce imagination and spirit.

Each individual is different but if we assume the first advantages together decline with time exponentially and the second advantage increases exponentially similar in reflection then multiply these together and you get a bell-shaped curve with the 'peak' represents the ideal age. This peak will vary from person to person.

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add comments for a given person

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..pray, do tell us of whom you speak?

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The advantage of being young is to have imagination and spirit

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And if there is one thing (seen from the perspective of my own age) that I find to be (almost) consistently lacking in Youth, it is in the imagination!

A bit of a shocker I know, but I have noticed it even around here on this site in general. And I think it must have to do with that childlike tendency to want to 'fit in', rather than stand out in life.

It's not like young people don't have imagionation as such, its just that it takes some a lot longer than others, to learn how to use it.

And if by spirit you mean energy, then yes there is no question. But if you mean soul, then again this also mostly develops only along with maturity (although I have noticed a surprising amount of keenly insightful and soulful words coming from very young users on this site).

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you get a bell-shaped curve with the 'peak' represents the ideal age.

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The only bells and curves you want to be worrying about right now are those which swing about your body!

But seriously now, I swear to you that one's imagination and spirit does not decline with age.
However..., by becoming a 'closed minded asshole' this would change everything!

I would have to agree, imagination doesn't diminish with age, just the situations in which you can use it. as a child your entire world revolve around games with your imagination (up till now where it's whatever the people making disney's computer games wrote), as you get older "fun" becomes a bit more grounded in reality (unless u still play computer games). Though most people seem to almost become embarrassed about their imagination and just stop using it, a thing which depresses me, I was always told i had an over-active imagination as a child, and it's still very much in use, generally only for my own personal amusement, but occasionally also to make people laugh.

I would disagree with heyjme i think that most people above about 12-13 start being able to hold a decent conversation and retain the ability until senility sets in. The ability remains with them, they just often choose not to use it, whether because experience has told them that it's pointless or they simply lack the necessary interest, or as chiron so tactfully put it they become a 'closed minded asshole'.


@ chiron, the reason there is no tail on the "L" is because it's not a capital.

The given person is a hypothetical; it means you could place Fred, Bob, Doris, Kate, Dick Chaney if you want.

The trick of education should be to do three things:

1. educate about what is known
2. let this affect the imagination as little as possible
3. encourage the joining of the two

We have to remember that energy also creates imagination. By spirit I mean energy. Kids have more energy. They also have more imagination; an imagination pursuing adventure, the most fruitful period of acceleration, it is just that this is less refined in the social setting. They don't occupy fear as much-they find out things by trying and this itself is imagination being tried in a physical setting; as we learn and become that much older, through teneeage years, what develops then are two things; which aren't bad but necessary. The 'trying to fit-in' is just the surface feature; what is being developed is the nurturing of social skills and self confidence; it is also the most natural thing to do; modern society places to much emphasis on equality when nature shows this not to be so. The best racing car drivers aren't absolutely keen on winning (spirit);having an ability to stay calm, rational and focused and to not get caught up in the heat of things makes the win. However, they maintain the keeness to think how to manouvre and push the accelerator to the floor and break at the right time to have the winning spirit. These two skills, together, are when a person reaches their peak; which I would describe as accomplishing something which can be tested to work.

To give an example.The decline of the eastern empires, was for me, because the culture became engraved in culture itself and the finding of the soul; which is a period of calm: looking to find spirituality.
from this view I find this escapism from the hunt to find out nature. This is what experience does; it teaches experience; and hopefully the lessons learned; knowledge. It teaches some wisdom; but wisdom isn't solely taught; it is harbored when all one is fit mentally and physically and has faith, hope and a want for the good.

However, this is why the Romans take a bigger chunk in developing technology and controlling the world-when others were settling they were keen to start anew. This is analogous to age; most scientist breakthroughs are found between the ages of 20 and 40 ranging from the more precise faculties like mathematics to those bounding on philosophy. Why is this? There must be a reason. And I propose that it is because of the connection between external influence e.g. experience (which includes reading, listening to others, sensory reception) and the joining of the product of energy and imagination and the connection between the two. Each person is different and will peak at different times however.

btw the bell shape would be pointing upwards so if it wouldn't be swinging there if so.

In think giving the age of a user on this site is a good thing.

And as Decius pointed out, it can allow us to understand where the person is coming from.

There can be a vast gap in the way different people think and perceive things at certain given times because of their background. Different ages, sexes, cultures, and lifestyles, all play a role in making us who we are. And therefore HOW we think.

So I like knowing a couple of basic things up front, like what age and sex people are, as this makes it easier to try to understand and empathise where they are coming from. And why.

I totally disagree with the idea that only the young have imagination. I think that imagination is like a muscle in the mind. Just like a muscle in the body it is something you can exercise.

As a child you imagine all sorts of stuff, but it is very disjointed and fragmented and has a tendency not to be in your head very long.

As you get older your imagination becomes more controlled and you tend to be able to take long trips of the mind that stay on track and dont lose their destination or focus.

An example of this would be writing.
The most popular book written for children (the Harry potter series ) was written by a grown woman. Not a child. Yet it "captures " children's imaginations like a deep sea drift net.

But sadly I have to agree with the idea that with age, spirit diminishes.

All around me, as people get older they seem to lose their inner fire, their passion. For me I started to notice this happening to all my friends around the age of 30.

They suddenly weren't interested in what was fun and enjoyable. But in settling down and leaving some kind of mark on the world.

And this so called "mark" was of course what society told them was important.

Alas, they all began to need a "career" instead of a "job", to save and not ever splash out. To buy a house, own some kind of property or piece of land. To get married, stay in that house on the couch as much as possible, have children and buy a white picket fence to give all those lovely "achievements" a pretty border.

(That's not to say these things are bad in themselves. Whatever you feel is important you must pursue. I just feel objects and material possessions seemed to become the focus of all my friends lives, and were now used as a means of telling them they were happy, instead of when they followed thier hearts.)

I find I am one of the only people in my environment, my age, who still has his lust for life and who still questions the world and wants to live and not just "keep up with the Joneses."

I also would really like to say that Im really happy Chiron has joined this site.

I find that for possibly the oldest active poster right now, she has a vibe and zest, and lust for life that rivals even the youngest here.

I really admire that and I wonder what your secret is Chiron?

How is it that you can maintain the youthful enthusiasm and unbound curiosity that others my own age lost so long ago?

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I also would really like to say that Im really happy Chiron has joined this site.

I find that for possibly the oldest active poster right now, she has a vibe and zest, and lust for life that rivals even the youngest here.

I really admire that and I wonder what your secret is Chiron?

How is it that you can maintain the youthful enthusiasm and unbound curiosity that others my own age lost so long ago?

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Oh!... and now you have just made me feel SO happy to read this!
I honestly haven't lost any of my youthful spirit and enthusiasm but often feel a bit sad when I realize I no longer really belong anywhere if you know what I mean. Too damn old to fit in with the young (should I have lied and pretended I was a 'young 'un'?), and yet I don't fit in with most people my own age either! (for all the reasons you cite)

Its an odd situation to be in I can tel you (just as well my computer doesnt judge me hey, lol).

I also love to ride horses, and the older riders are mostly boring-control-freaks who gossip too much. But the youngsters are the ones I've had the most fun with...
Trouble is they mostly don't want me around (maybe they get teased?) anyway I end up feeling like the kid who gets left out LOL!

But you wanted to know my secret?
I never get tired of learning, and I love a lot. There is still so much I want to do in this life, so much I would like to experience. A lot of people I know think it 'undignified' of me to still be so passionately interested in things.

Anyway you have just paid me the best compliment in ages, and I thank you for it!!!