As we reach our 60s, society often dictates that we should cease certain behaviors, as this stage of life calls for responsible adulthood. Curious about what these behaviors might be? This article provides 17 examples of things we’re expected to stop doing once we hit our golden years.
Debt
“The average American in 2023 carried $21,800 in personal debt,” says Money. Getting overwhelmed by debt is something we expect from middle-aged people who have a family to look after. But by the time we reach our 60s, we’re supposed to be in a position where we can help others out financially.
Holding Grudges
Holding grudges with others is something that you expect from young people. But by the time we reach 60, people will find it more difficult to accept the grudge-holding. In their minds, we should be beyond that by now and should be able to forgive others quickly and freely.
Buying Sports Cars
Buying a brand-new sports car is a nice luxury but it’s not very practical when you get into your 60s. Although you might be able to get in and out of it without any issues now, this may not be the case in five years’ time. It’s better to go for something more practical.
Midlife Crisis Spending
Forbes says that “a midlife crisis is defined as a period of emotional turmoil in middle age, around 40 to 60 years old, characterized by a strong desire for change.” But by the time we get into our 60s, our midlife crisis should be over and we have no excuses for spending money frivolously.
Wacky Dress
Everyone should have the freedom to dress as they would like to, but moving far away from the status quo will draw even more attention to you in your old age. Society expects young people to dress differently but they don’t expect this from someone over 60.
Extravagant Hair
Society knows and accepts youths who color and style their hair in extravagant ways. But people in their 60s who try to follow these trends are not usually seen in the same light. To avoid unnecessary attention, over 60s should stick with conventional haircuts and styles.
Career Changes
Changing careers is always difficult but it becomes extremely hard as we get past our 40s. A career change in our 60s is almost unheard of because we’re so close to retirement. People think we should just stick to a job, even one we’re not happy with, when we get to this age.
Lift Weights
According to the Better Health Channel, “As we age, the structure of bone changes, and this results in loss of bone tissue. Low bone mass means bones are weaker and places people at risk of breaks from a sudden bump or fall.” Because of this, we’re more likely to break bones by lifting weights.
Soccer
Soccer is a high-impact sport and it’s easy for us to become injured while playing it. Because of this, it’s not usually recommended that people over 60 play this sport. Low-impact sports such as swimming and golf are better for older people who want to stay fit.
Gambling
Men are more likely to have a gambling problem than women. Gambling can quickly diminish a family’s assets and everything they’ve worked hard to build. A gambling problem that destroys a family looks bad at any age, but a person who spends everything they have in their old age is viewed as childish.
Bungee Jumping
Bungee jumping is an extreme sport. The statistics from Gitnux show that “about 47% of bungee jumpers are both men and women between the ages of 18 to 34.” Bungee jumping at age 60 or over isn’t recommended and would be frowned upon by most people.
Silent Treatment
The silent treatment is used by teenagers to prove a point to their parents and young couples to get back at one another. However, the silent treatment doesn’t solve any issues and is frustrating for both parties. This is usually considered a rather childish way of trying to resolve a problem.
Fast Driving
Reckless driving is usually something we expect from young people, especially boys and men. But when you get into your 60s, people will no longer overlook the offense. An older person who speeds will be looked down upon and won’t be trusted by others.
Quitting
Quitting a job at the drop of a hat is something that young people do. When they don’t have family responsibilities to care for and are still living with their parents, no one is overly alarmed when they quit. But quitting a job at 60 is very strange and most people won’t understand this.
Clubs
Entry to clubs is for those over 21 in most American states. Although a person over 60 is allowed into a club, it won’t be viewed very well by the general public if they were to enter one. Clubbing is something that most people associate with young people.
Loud Music
Playing very loud music that disturbs the neighbors is something that we expect from young people. But for a person over 60 to play loud music at crazy times of the night or very early in the morning would be very out of character for the generation.
Borrowing Money
By the time we get to our 60s, people expect us to be financially stable. So we shouldn’t need to borrow money from our families in order to get by. Someone who needs to rely on others to make mortgage payments at age 60 will be seen as irresponsible.