Older Doesn't Always Mean Wiser

Unless you're part of some very age-old, tradition-bound ancient culture (like the Confucian cultures of the Far East), people who tout their wisdom by means of their age, or by appealing to their rank in one line of work over a long period, might truly have limited wisdom is any classic sense. Authoritarians often appeal to their "wisdom" when they're out of cards in trying to impose their beliefs (rather than successfully convincing or persuading). In reality: Wisdom is knowledge attained through experience, not age. Indeed, age typically brings about more experience. But some experience matters more than other types. In other words, do people always acquire wisdom over long periods, especially if all they do is follow the lead of others? Why do senior citizens see physicians that are in their 30s, 40, and 50s, and not their 70s and 80s (usually)? Forbes publisher Rich Karlgaard quoted one executive, in his book, Late Bloomers, as saying that wisdom is "how to manage ambiguity." Often, that's exactly what much of the retired-after-35-years-of-9-to-5-work crowd doesn't, or won't tolerate -- ambiguity. They should see the world as more complex, not simpler because they're older. Especially going into the third decade of the 21st century. To deny this is very unwise.