We’re familiar with the trope of the grumpy old man. Is there some significant correlation between people getting older and their mood worsening?
If so, what are the social/psychological/neurological mechanisms that contribute to that effect?
I haven’t run across any widely published biologic/medical study of that one fairly narrow concern, but it is well established that human behavior is affected as much by biology, as it is by psychology or experience/memory.
In short, how “grumpy” pretty much anyone is, from birth on, is affected by their health, hunger, environment, and so on.
And of course, you could factor in who is making the judgment as to “grumpiness.” In my observation, a significant number of people who are labeled “grumpy,” aren’t actually grumpy at all. They are merely uncooperative with the person making the accusation.
People get grumpy when they discover that they no longer have any control over the world that they have to live in. It just so happens that power in our society is in the hands of people who are not old, so those who are old exhibit grumpiness.
Does being in pain heighten your own mood?
A lot of old people are in pain a lot of the time. And a lot of them aren’t going to be using whatever patience they’ve got left with anybody who isn’t a direct relative; many consider that it isn’t their job to educate little morons who aren’t their own personal responsibility.
My anecdotal experience is that older people are less tolerant of fools and less inhibited about letting people know.
Older people are often in chronic pain, which makes anyone and everyone grumpy. Arthritis (or bursitis or tendonitis or *itis) is nearly universal as people age. Knee problems grow more frequent. Backs develop spinal stenosis or sciatica or other ailments. And then there are the hundreds of diseases that can be contracted at any time in life but therefore are most widespread in older people.
Younger people have no idea whatsoever what it’s like to live with these problems every day, morning to night. And they are over and above all the other conditions of aging.
Besides, it’s much harder to give a fuck about how other people view you. Why should you?
Oh, and women get just as grumpy as they age. There may be social reasons why they try to hide it better in public but there is no reason whatsoever to assume that a gender difference in grumpiness exists.
Once again, Cracked.com has some answers for us…
“What! Cracked.com, that stupid humorous website. Lies and falsehoods, and, and, …”
Ahem. Yes, a Cracked.com article, with inline citations, including one from the NIH. Now get offa my (metaphorical) lawn.
Exactly what age are you talking about when you say getting older? I agree it is health problems.
It’s also possible to lose ‘executive function’ as you age, so that you’re more likely to just blurt out whatever you’re thinking with no thought of appropriateness.
Depends on what exactly you mean by old. I’m sure if you look at the mean age of people in government, executives of large companies, and so on that age will be pretty old. If you are talking about the average person beyond retirement age, that may be true.
They don’t look all that old to me. This pdf presentation from Alvarez and Marsal says that the average age of CEOs is 56 and that of CFOs and COOs is only 52. The House has an average age of 57 and the Senate is 61, according to senate.gov. Yes, obviously half of that group will be older, but half will be younger too. And the almost ridiculous energy of the presidential candidates shows that they are not stereotypical oldsters, even those over standard retirement age.
Social order is driven by the marketplace, dominated by the young. Those “older” captains of government and industry and commerce are just exploiting the people who really define our culture, but are not numbered among them and hae no affinity for them…
Mid-sixties cranky guy here…
For me, it’s a combination of several factors.
First, after a reasonably healthy life, I’ve had prostate cancer, severe hearing loss, thyroid problems (leading to radiation ablation), and several other health issues arise in the last few years alone. These tend to make me a bit more irritable.
Second, I may not be any wiser than a younger person, but I’ve pretty much heard the jokes and excuses, know the tropes, read and seen the basic plots, and so forth. In most cases, I know where things are headed.
Finally, I don’t need to impress anyone. I figured out long ago that I’m not going to go home with the cute 28-year-old waiting on me at the bar. And I no longer have a boss or co-workers I need to be careful around.
With that said, my wife still claims I’m an overly courteous and patient person, so I guess her eyesight and hearing are also going bad.
It’s hard to be pleasant and cheerful when you’re suffering from chronic depression … 24/7 excruciating back pain from inoperable spinal stenosis … knee pain … inability to stand or walk for more than 3 minutes … urge incontinence … erectile dysfunction … out-of-control diabetes … diabetic neuropathy … peripheral vascular disease … inability to exercise … stage three kidney disease … heart disease … drug-resistant insomnia … fear of hereditary Alzheimer’s … need to take a handful of meds each day, each with side effects (including “suicidal thoughts”) … and the knowledge that every single one of these problems will continue to get worse until a merciful death.
And don’t get me started on the election.
It is so.
Awhile back I posted a poll, basically asking Dopers whether they’d be more likely to 1) evolve as they aged into more cynical and suspicious people, 2) become the naive, trusting sort of elderly people who are at greater risk of losing a fortune to scam artists, or 3) retain the same personality they currently had.
As I recall there was a fairly close split between more cynical and no significant change, while amazingly no one could see themselves becoming sweet, trusting victims. 
Over time, I agree that tolerance for bullshit tends to wane, and that letting others know about it becomes more prevalent, in part due to pent-up annoyance* over the years, and the perception that you have less to lose through honesty.** And as noted, grumpiness may relate to pain/discomfort from chronic conditions.
*Posters who’ve patiently debunked 9/11 truther crap or other woo online 100 times, have been known to snap and hurl insults the 101st time.
**while out to dinner the other evening I avoided saying something snarky even after the fourth time the server stopped by to ask how the food tastes. In a few years I may feel that such restraint is no longer necessary.
Actually, at 70 I am a lot less cranky than I was at 40. I don’t have a job now. I don’t have to listen to some boss or some customer or some other idiot. I can pretty much spend my time as I choose. I never have to shop during the busiest times. I never go to stores on the weekend or at night. Lots less to be cranky about, actually.
Yep. I paid attention to a lot of things, growing up, and it’s annoying seeing people perpetuating falsehoods, and/or making the same mistakes I’ve seen in the past.
I’ve dealt with the public in various jobs for most of my working life.
Elderly people are either really nice, or else really nasty. There’s almost no middle ground.
I think a large component of Grumpy Old Man syndrome is boredom. A lot of old dudes cant seem to find anything entertaining to do with themselves during the day so they sit around in groups and bitch and whine about stuff. I’m retired now and find myself interacting with these groups more and more. Get 3 old guys together and at least one will have a complaint that must be aired, usually about something a young person has done wrong or Mexicans.
Just another sucky part of getting old. Want to hear about my hernia operation instead?
You may disagree, but I feel I have gotten mellower as I get older. I do what I damn please and don’t have to show deference to anyone. Maybe I come across as cranky, but I don’t think so. While my health is not good, the ill-health I suffer does not leave me in pain. And I have enough to do not to be bored. I will be 80 next month.