# I just realised I am old **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 2, 2024, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realised-i-am-old/1009575 "2024-11-02T12:50:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 253
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2026, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realised-i-am-old/1009575/253 "2026-07-19T11:58:12Z")
Yes, everyone is prone to some exaggeration of their abilities. My point is entirely that the magnitude of exaggeration grows with elderhood. So whatever “discount” your smart self-judgmental self applies to your not-smart emotional self’s ideas about your abilities needs to be consciously increased as you get beyond age e.g. 70. While it seems instead that for many people the discount goes away entirely and now their wobbly 80yo self is climbing ladders. See also > [@Bad, bad, bad..what is it with old men and ladders?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-bad-bad-what-is-it-with-old-men-and-ladders/1030854): > > Y’all might not know but Mr.Wrekker is much older than me. I was awakened by a bang. I get up to go see ..dogs are clamoring around me thinking it’s early breakfast. I walk out on the deck. The bang was a ginormous ladder being put up against the garage roof. My son is already on the roof. Taking screws out. His ladder is up there leaning on the higher two story roof. Holy cow. I see my ancient(grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes ) husband as he stepped off the ladder onto the metal roofed gara… --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realised-i-am-old/1009575)._