# Is there a causal link between age and bad mood? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 24, 2016, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-causal-link-between-age-and-bad-mood/775529 "2016-12-24T14:22:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-causal-link-between-age-and-bad-mood/775529/21 "2016-12-24T21:16:21Z")
Since most of the response here are personal or anecdotal, let’s move this to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-causal-link-between-age-and-bad-mood/775529/22 "2016-12-24T21:37:42Z")
When a young individual is behaving badly we’re more inclined to think they must be having a bad day! But when it’s an older person people tend to think, what a miserable old shit! Assuming they’re likely always that way, in my experience. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-causal-link-between-age-and-bad-mood/775529/23 "2016-12-24T21:50:04Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > When a young individual is behaving badly we’re more inclined to think they must be having a bad day! > > But when it’s an older person people tend to think, what a miserable old shit! Assuming they’re likely always that way, in my experience. This is the same tendency applied to wheelchair users. If we’re not perpetually happy then it must be because our lives suck because of the injury. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-causal-link-between-age-and-bad-mood/775529/24 "2016-12-24T22:50:51Z")
I’m a living counterexample. I’ve seriously mellowed out in my old age. But I’m still only 57. I’m much happier leading a mellower life and intend for it to continue. We’ll see once I start getting really old. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2016, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-causal-link-between-age-and-bad-mood/775529/25 "2016-12-24T23:20:49Z")
In addition to the chronic pain thing, as we get older men inevitably suffer from low testosterone. Which basically comes with the same symptoms as chronic depression… including _irritability_. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-causal-link-between-age-and-bad-mood/775529/26 "2016-12-25T02:16:46Z")
No. Now get the Hell off my lawn you rotten runny-nosed little crumb-cruncher dammit! And no ---- you can’t have your ball back! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-causal-link-between-age-and-bad-mood/775529/27 "2016-12-25T08:19:01Z")
We view old people as angry because their faces begin to wrinkle and sag. It draws the eyebrows down and they lose the soft everyday smile of a young face. They also lose some fatty pockets and can begin to look skeletal. Young people have an especially hard time reading the emotions of the old and their brains assume anger. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-causal-link-between-age-and-bad-mood/775529/28 "2016-12-25T11:36:54Z")
> [@shiftless](#): > > A lot of old dudes cant seem to find anything entertaining to do with themselves during the day… Not a complaint, just an observation. As I age (60 now) I’ve noticed an odd thing. There are only a few places I’m supposed to “be”. I realize it’s a free country blah blah, but I feel out of place a lot of the time. This is even worse when I’m by myself. Go to a restaurant? Feels strange on most nights to be solo. A movie? Again odd to be alone and they’re all about comic book characters anyway. Go camping? I found that other campers seem concerned about an old guy who’s obviously by himself. I’ve tried this and actually got quizzed by a Dad in the next campsite (I lied and said my wife got stuck at work). I’m not grumpy about it, but it seems most venues are designed for a younger crowd and the only acceptable activities for old farts are golf and fishing. ---
**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:** [December 25, 2016, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-causal-link-between-age-and-bad-mood/775529/29 "2016-12-25T14:47:15Z")
> [@pullin](#): > > … > I’m not grumpy about it, but it seems most venues are designed for a younger crowd and the only acceptable activities for old farts are golf and fishing. I can recall at the age of ~40 going to bars/restaurants in the hipster district with my wife. And being eyed by the bulk of the 20-something patrons as being well outside where I belong. Made me feel like a black dude at a country club it did. “Who let \*him \*in?” was the vibe. And the vibe was _loud_. I imagine it’ll only get worse as I get truly old. OTOH I live in an area with massive numbers of oldsters. They’re a large enough fraction of the populace to make their own reality and eventually I’ll be joining them. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-causal-link-between-age-and-bad-mood/775529/30 "2016-12-25T15:07:07Z")
> [@pullin](#): > > Not a complaint, just an observation. > > As I age (60 now) I’ve noticed an odd thing. There are only a few places I’m supposed to “be”. I realize it’s a free country blah blah, but I feel out of place a lot of the time. This is even worse when I’m by myself. Go to a restaurant? Feels strange on most nights to be solo. A movie? Again odd to be alone and they’re all about comic book characters anyway. Go camping? I found that other campers seem concerned about an old guy who’s obviously by himself. I’ve tried this and actually got quizzed by a Dad in the next campsite (I lied and said my wife got stuck at work). > > I’m not grumpy about it, but it seems most venues are designed for a younger crowd and the only acceptable activities for old farts are golf and fishing. Don’t worry–the country is aging right along with you. The percentage of people over 65 is the highest it’s ever been, and it’s going to keep increasing for the foreseeable future. The sheer number of older people is going to change a lot of that stuff. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-causal-link-between-age-and-bad-mood/775529/31 "2016-12-25T16:31:00Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > They’re a large enough fraction of the populace to make their own reality and eventually I’ll be joining them. > [@Flyer](#): > > Don’t worry–the country is aging right along with you. The percentage of people over 65 is the highest it’s ever been, and it’s going to keep increasing for the foreseeable future. The sheer number of older people is going to change a lot of that stuff. Heh heh. Get ready whippersnappers. We’re gonna turn the whole country into Sun City Arizona! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![HeXen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@HeXen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeXen)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-causal-link-between-age-and-bad-mood/775529/32 "2016-12-25T16:52:13Z")
A lifetime of dealing with people’s BS will certainly do it. Everyone either wants what’s in your pocket, on your lawn or you to support them or do something beneficial for them in some way. Even your friends benefit you right? Even if all they do is make you laugh, you selfishly adhere the friendship for that reason or some other. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-causal-link-between-age-and-bad-mood/775529/33 "2016-12-25T19:21:07Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-causal-link-between-age-and-bad-mood/775529/34 "2016-12-25T19:34:22Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > 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. Ditto. I’m 70 and Hari’s description fits me to a T. The arthritis in my spine has been causing me pain for a couple of decades now, and I’ve learned to live with it. Yeah, I have bad knees and can’t run, but there is usually no reason I want to. Life experience has taught me that a lot of the things I might have been stressed about when younger are not really all that important anyway, plus I no longer have to deal with workplace stress. I take great joy in simple things. The same generally applies to my husband. Surviving open heart surgery that prevented a probably immediately fatal heart attack does wonders for keeping things in perspective. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-causal-link-between-age-and-bad-mood/775529/35 "2016-12-25T21:26:21Z")
> [@pullin](#): > > …the only acceptable activities for old farts are golf and fishing. Don’t forget home surveillance and gardening. And of course, Maintaining The Lawn. :mad: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-causal-link-between-age-and-bad-mood/775529.md?page=1)