Just observations that can be wrong

Older people in my culture are mostly authoritative, controlling, and demanding of respect purely based on their age.. Most of them don't realise that they also owe respect to the younger generation.. They don't realise that the younger generation is entitled to make their own mistakes.. They don't recognise or admire that the younger generation may know better than them about certain things, or may have things they don't have.. They just have this false pride because of all the life experience they have, and so, expect you to just sit down and listen to their wisdom.. I am not trying to be too harsh, most of them are very kind, but I just hate these traits.. I hate authoritative people and they make me uncomfortable.. I always feel uncomfortable around Arab older people.

I am sure some of these traits may exist in the older generation in western cultures as well, but probably at a lower rater.. from interactions, i notice more humbleness in dealing with someone who is younger.. more admiration of what a younger person may/can bring to the table, and definitely more respect and talking to them as an equal .. The other thing, more appreciation of life and being able to enjoy it and to do new things, even at an older age. This last one is really BIG, and lacks A LOT in my culture, and it is a cause for a lot of suffering, and was a problem for me as well. Many sons and daughters suffer when they see their parents have become too miserable with no desire for life.. this is just the norm here, people become zombies as they get older, and I don't know why people just stop living life..Age is just a BIG deal for us, and maybe we place way too many restrictions based on it, this is why the older they get, the less desire for doing anything.