Thread by @docMJP

THREAD. One of most frequent & ridiculous responses to my complaint that WE ARE NOW LED BY OCTOGENARIANS DYING IN OFFICE is some variation on “age doesn’t matter”, proud pronouncements about how “their age doesn’t bother me”, & accusation that my tweets were “ageist.”

Bullshit.

https://twitter.com/docmjp/status/1315649751820443649

1) If you think that (outside of some outlying exceptions) it’s good & normal to work in a demanding & important position of authority until you die you need to get examine yourself. This is a kind of sickness of soul—a repugnant, selfish grasping. These are gaping maws of ego.

What should happen is a conscious transition of power. You start to decline—part of the work of a great leader is to then prepare for exit from the stage. This means getting your things in order after training and mentoring those who can potentially take your place.

A leader not looking to replace themselves or their role in an any organization or culture is usually selfish asshole. Holding onto power until you die is usually a kind of abuse of office & power. It disrespects the office & those you serve. It makes clear it was all about you.

2) The claim that people are still able to perform all facets of their jobs equally well at any age is laughably false. It’s unconscionable that so many out there think it’s somehow bigoted to point out scientific, biological truth:

No, we don’t perform as well in our LATE 80s as we do when younger. Deal with it. What’s wrong w/you people? You think these senile old power-drunk ancients of days haven’t lost a step? Watch ACB hearing. This isn’t worth arguing. How anyone cld claim such a dumb thing is, tho.

My suspicion is that boomer understanding of individual freedom includes notion that we must not be bound or constrained by nature, including the natural aging process. So we deny it exists. And therefore deny our differing roles and responsibilities as we age. But it gets worse:

Another reason they work until they die w/no thought to future or the common good is that this is all they have. They cannot transition to transferring power to a new gen b/c they never mentored one & don’t care. Their job & status is their identity. So they dare not leave it.

A health soul would look forward to setting their affairs in order: writing, reading, & teaching after stepping down from the burden of office (and for good people it is a burden). They would want to spend time with family. They would want to rest, recreate, & prepare for death.

But these doddering fools can’t do any of that—terrified of death, & perhaps terrified & guilty in their private lives, they’ve no inner life & no reading/writing to do. They want no rest, no preparation. Like vampires, addicted to office/status to stay alive. Drink young blood.

So. @InezFeltscher and all the rest of you: it’s unprecedented & historic. There’s *never* been a time in which there were this many old people in proportion to the rest of the population. If we want to get through this era without collapse we must make this an explicit issue.

https://twitter.com/InezFeltscher/status/1316058533113344004

Chris Caldwell has been recently and wisely making this point about the unprecedented proportions, @InezFeltscher.

He made me realize how important this dynamic is—& how rhetorically hidden. Unlocked some levels. Re Gen X tho—or anyone else—problem is barriers as much as anything else. You can’t get power unless you take it. There’ no plan on any side to transition & skill up younger leaders.

In conclusion, let me suggest that a large part of why our institutions are failing is b/c they are elderly & top heavy: they have failed to pass anything on. They have no transition plan. They have no younger replacement leadership. Their vision fades. And so they will die out.