Another reason for going SoLo: your age

August 29, 2006 by Mary Wynne-Wynter 

He makes a great point: companies hire energy. There’s so much conflicting philosophy.  I remember getting into an argument with a doctor about anti-aging.  He said it was "unnatural".  I responded: "yeah, unemployment and poverty are unnatural too! My philosophy: thrive on change and you’re never old.

Is it discrimination, or righteous appraisal?

By Dale Dauten  |  August 27, 2006

My point here is to put age discrimination in perspective. Maybe there are, I don’t know, 50 percent of employers who won’t hire a 60-year-old. That would be massive discrimination, and yet there are those who think the percentage to be even higher. You can rail against it, and rightly so, but don’t get distracted from finding the 20 percent who think that being 60 is an advantage and who are prejudiced in favor of experience and wisdom.

Just be careful not to confuse age discrimination with a natural discernment against some characteristics that might be associated with age — being a know-it-all, having an income level ahead of the market, or being worn-out or out-of-date. Nobody wants to hire someone old — that is, someone used up . It isn’t age discrimination, it’s a righteous assessment of energy per dollar of salary.

But who’s old? Katie Couric? She turns 50 in January, but I hear she’s doing OK, careerwise. Is John McCain old? He’s 69 and a cancer survivor, but I’d love to work with him. And my favorite TV show (“CBS Sunday Morning") is hosted by a 73-year-old, Charles Osgood.

The problem isn’t being 50 or 60 or 70; it’s being old. So I have a few suggestions on how to not be old, and I welcome any others you’d care to suggest:

No one is old when planting flowers.

No one is old when singing.

No one is old when riding a bike.

No one is old when buying a new suit.

And, my favorite:

No one is old when telling a joke.

To age gracefully is to turn down a lot of chances to be old.

Filed under: Consciousness, career, going solo
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