This is an academic question and I am using it for some of my Doctorial Work. In other words, JJ is too random for my purpose.

At what age does someone officially become old?

All things are relative.

What on earth sort of doctorate are you completing anyway?

Healthcare management. Don't ask. The first class you have to take is an Adult and Aging course. The Healthcare Management program is run by the Human Services (i.e. Sociology) Dept.

Odd question for doctoral work. But I'll try to answer it nonetheless.

Age is a matter of perception, defined differently by each observer. For instance, to me, my parents are old. They're in their early 50s. However, to the day care children my mother looks after, I am old. I don't have a nap time (regretfully), and I leave for most of the year to attend college.

Another way to look at the question of senescence is historically. As people live longer on average, general perception shifts in the same direction. In the 12th century, people were only living to the ripe age of 35 or 40. Anything over that, and you were considered ancient. A girl who wasn't married by the age of 18 was verging on spinsterhood. Now, if someone gets married by 18, the couple faces many hardships not faced by those who wait to get married.

I'll give you an answer, 40-69 is aging, 70+ is old. In my opinion, anyways.

I think old is a state of mind. I personally, intend to keep a teenage state of mind for most of my activities.

43 is old, 42 is awesome.

Why those ages?

If you know anything about me you should know my love of 42

I think I get it (although maybe not).

Anyways, I would agree that old is a state of mind, but only towards yourself, which you then reflect onto others for them to percieve.

It's off hitchhikers. I know that much.

aye

did you know that 42-19= *gasps* 23!

6 x 9 = 42

Sorry. I watched that movie today. I couldn't resist.

I like the movie, but the mini series does the books justice.

haven't seen it.

You really really should.

I don't have TV. No point when I move around so much.

*blinks* might I suggest using your computer, I do believe they play DVDs and such now a days.

I don't have the DVD's either, and my net connection isn't fast enough to download them in less then a week.

Old is hard to define because it's not a thing. Things are easy. It's just that things get murkier the further you head into the Abstract Human Subjective.

Old is pretty far in there. It still relates to a thing so it's not all the way but old can and often is unconnected with the physical age of any thing relative to lifespan. After all, a lot of kids are "old before their time".

Old is somewhere around the neighborhood of... oh... 150. I'd guess. Giving a month or two in either direction.

when they've outlived everyone else.

You're considered a senior at 65. I don't know it that helps though.

Hmm. 60 is old in my opinion.

If you're younger than me, you're a whippersnapper.
If you're older than me, you're a fogey.

"I may grow old, but I refuse to grow up."

Thanks for the input.

Most people seem to give a vague answer. When forced to give an answer (I suggest cattle prod - $60 at the local tractor supply and they come charged - I guess when you need a cattle prod, you need it NOW), most people give 60 or 85.

old is a state of mind

There is but one agency that determines if you're "old" or not... they're called AARP.

Those dumbasses started sending me mail asking me to join AARP when I was twenty-one, so I wouldn't depend on them to determine who is "old" and who is not.

I don't deal with them. I'm on the national "do not call" list, so if they call I tell em if they bother me again I'm calling my lawyer. I haven't gotten a call in years. Telephone solicitors rue the day they called me.

Well, they bothered me when I was 21, which was a long time before anyone thought up a Do Not Call list. Plus, it was mail contact, not phone calls.
I solved the problem by sending back the application with "I'M ONLY TWENTY ONE" written all over it in red marker. They didn't bother me after that.

They did that because consensus bureaus in the United States are an epic failure. Not only that, they want you to think about your retirement early. Its actually a good idea to do that. They didn't necessarily WANT or DESIRE you to sign up with them right then and there-- they're appealing to a younger generation of people so they will have a clientele when this generation gets older.



Why did you go out of your way to do that? If you hear the recording-- don't answer it or just hang up immediately. The "Do Not Call" list is actually bogus. In case you were wondering. You just gave out your information to solicitors EVERYWHERE. Take the simple route and just ignore them. Better yet: mess with the telemarketer's heads. Good fun.

They weren't just sending me advertisements, though. It was the actual application and forms. The pamphlets weren't the "think about your future" or "remember us when it's time to sign up" or anything even remotely like that. The way everything was worded made it clear they thought I was of retirement age.

That's actually an advertisement strategy. They send out the paperwork, and although you may not be of retiring age, it gets you thinking about it. That is their goal. Even if you're thinking: "Why the hell did they send this to me?" ---You're still thinking about it. Subliminal messaging. Its amazing.

Well, I haven't heard from them since then, so they're not trying too hard.

They don't have to dear. You're talking and thinking about it now. Kinda funny, huh?

But only because this topic exists. If this topic hadn't brought it to mind, I wouldn't be thinking about it at all.

Yay, we're playing tag between this topic and JJ.

TAG! YOU'RE IT!

But, no, we think about our retirement all the time. We just don't realize it. When we make long-term investment decisions, that is how we are thinking about it. And thinking about it really isn't a bad thing. With the fluxes in the economy the way they are-- its best to put something aside while you're young and let it grow over time.

I don't deny thinking about my retirement. Matter of fact, I worry about it quite a bit. Wish I'd gotten an earlier start so the money could've had plenty of time to earn compounded interest.

I was thinking about it long before AARP started sending me junk. They weren't the cause, accounting classes in high school were the cause.

Accounting classes in high school were just LAME. While I loved the teacher and respected the ideas behind it-- I could have taken seven no-doze and a Red Bull before class and STILL managed to fall asleep.

Most people find it boring. It is math, after all.

My plan is to end up dying before I need to retire.

Saves me a lot of accountancy hassles.

Interesting, I don't plan to retire at all; I mean that I do plan on not having to work by the time I'm around 40, but that doesn't mean I'll stop doing it.

It's one of my many problems with old people.

What, just because they've avoided dropping dead for x amount of years they get to leech off society? Barring serious dementia or injury, they're still able to contribute to our society. Retirement plans just chain everyone else down carrying people who are still able to contribute.

I plan on actually making good retirement plans so I don't have to mooch. Just like my granddad. He saved the correct way and now he gets to travel the world with my grandma and do whatever he wants to do off the interest he's collecting.

65. Then you can start getting senior discounts. XD

Does a century count? I'm sorry, it's been a long time since I worried about things like that.