In primitive cultures, reaching old age could be seen as an achievement, given the difficulty of surviving without a healthcare system. In most modern societies, however, aging isn't as challenging and elderly individuals are often "locked away" in retirement homes. In other words, they essentially disappear, living a life of a ghost. Moreover, what kind of wisdom would you expect from someone who spent their years merely waiting for the day of their retirement?
noisy_boy|2 years ago
The kind of wisdom that they have earned dealing with the daily practicalities of personal life, society, law, bureaucracy and in general the knowledge of navigating the winds of change for many decades. But in order to get the benefit of that wisdom, you have to value them as individuals with valuable experience instead of thinking of them as someone who spent their years merely waiting for the day of their retirement.
neffy|2 years ago
Reaching old age is still an achievement, especially for young male motorcycle riders, and experience of society and its history always comes for free. The "locking away" stage is something old people generally try to actively avoid, and mostly generally for those with actual dementia in any case.