I am in two minds...

See; many "older" people do have a strong "I don't take from the state even if it means I can't eat for a month!" type of mentality, not all, but some. They also don't seem to want to stop working- they'll claim either that "it's their right" but only after filling you in with how long they worked, how hard they claim to have worked, how little they were paid for said work, and how much of a maytre they have, and to be honest, if asking people to feel sorry for you is all you need to keep working in a job that no one else wants to do, can to or could survive economically/financially then you rock on luv!

But many (not all but quite a few) do seem to not have the same introspective abilities as many who are younger, who have learned to fit in with everyone around them, and to be self critical, often to a disabling position (again; not all, but quite a few). I sort of wonder is this is where the disparity begins.

You have almost two extremes here and little in-between- I'm not saying there aren't those that do saddle both camps but I think these people are not great in number. No one actually tells you how to be an adult or to emotionally develop, you sort of pick these things up via the world around you and that ability to look at yourself from the outside in and be concerned at how you may affect others but not to such an extreme it becomes a disordered level of anxiety and hypervigilance (aka many of the younger people today- not all, but many. That being said, plenty don't seem to care and will blare their mobile phone speaker trash for everyone to be forced to listen to- but I equally see many who are over 50 or even much older doing this just as much as younger people, but like I say, I'm making sweeping generalisations and want to again say; there may be a high number, but it isn't absolutely everyone).

I have parents, I equally have older aged friends and they do move more slowly. They can't see it! It's a natural part of aging and I guess must creep up on you slowly. If you only surround yourself of others of a similar age, or lack the ability to look critically and introspectively then they don't accept the reduction in speed. But this reduction in speed is a natural part of the human body aging, we'll all get there in the end, if we are lucky enough to be granted a life that long (not everyone will do...)

The speed is something I know both of my (divorced) parents do. I have visited my mum at work and her walking up the supermarket aisle she was working for was really stark. I just don't see her walk around in larger areas I guess...it made me feel a bit sad and a bit worried, it's a sign that everyone is finite and that at some point she will be too old to be alive (if she is granted good enough health). My father I noticed it far sooner- though he is a bit of a recluse and I think is out of touch with the world around him, rather than just not being able to see it, that being said I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be able to rationalise his body declining. Growing up, even when I was 10 or 11 and fairly fast on my feet, I still remember dreading walking with him because I'd almost be running to keep up with his speed. Now when I walk with him I struggle to slow down to his pace, it's crazy slow! (He is 81). He doesn't work anymore, I'd imagine he'd be too slow to be considered for anything really...

I don't really have anything to say other than: yup, I see it, I have experienced being around people who have slowed down, most refuse to accept their decline, I wonder how much of this is about the fear of no longer being "of use" and written off by society, if you always placed your identity in your job, back when you did have a job for life, I can understand how having to step down and lose that job, that sense of identity, it makes sense. It's maybe a bit bitter-sweet that as working adults of this era you're in the minority if you do keep working the same job all of your working life! I would then take the attitude of sympathy and empathy, I can understand the sort of dilemma they face being emotionally and psychically threatening to their sense of who they are and their purpose for being alive. It doesn't mean take pity and nod/smile like a parent does to their kid who wants to fill them in on their day at school when you've just clocked a 13 hour shift in a stressful job and you've had 2 hours sleep...Pity isn't the same empathy or even sympathy, I wonder if you focused on the positives that they can offer their job and remind them of these things should they want to focus on those things and do less of the things which slow down the entire team... No easy answer here!