Ageism

11/09/2023

As one approaches the age of 60, you do notice the real world and it’s ageist ways.

Effectively, opportunities are cut off for you, or you do it yourself, because of your age.

The ‘do it yourself’ part is interesting. Effectively you anticipate ageism and go out of your way not to be a subject of it, thereby reducing your opportunities.

And yet, it’s still real.

These days, the peak of your perceived powers are around 48 years old. And that number is dropping.

Gone are the days of the old fellas ruling the roost. Unless somehow they’ve institutionalised their power, e.g. in politics.

Using the gender wars as a yardstick, we should start calling out ageism for what it is. Name and shame…

And then start organisations like OFIP, old fellas in IP, to promote our collective equal opportunity rights.

But that’s the thing about getting older; you can’t be fucked and you’re not that stupid. So it’s self propagating.

That is, you don’t want to be perceived to be equivalent to that ageing hipster blonde chick with big glasses and weird lipstick, bemoaning about the opportunities denied her by the patriarchy that have hampered her over-privileged and under-performing work career.