The Myth Of The Grumpy Old Man

Grumpy old men do not exist.

You may know a few of them, but it turns out that young people are grumpier while oldies look back to happy memories.

Researchers in New Zealand got old and young people to look at happy and sad pictures.

They found that in older people, there were stronger connections between regions of the brain that process emotions and those known to be important for forming memories. The trend was particularly strong for processing positive information.

Among the younger group, the link was found to be much weaker.

I’ve known a few grumpy old men in my time, but I generally believe that personality doesn’t change too much with age. So if they were grumpy old men then chances are they were also grumpy young men.

So if you’re one of these people who uses the stereotype to get away with bad behaviour, it’s time to stop using it as an excuse and admit that you were, and always have been, a grumpy man.