Why do many old people fight wherever they go?

Why do many old people fight wherever they go?

You might have seen some angry old men fighting, shouting and raising
their voices and gesticulating in post offices, banks, reservation
counters or with Auto drivers, vegetable vendors or shop keepers. Why
do they do this? Let us explore a few reasons for this behavior.

Exhibiting anger and putting up a fight is justifiable in rare cases.
When gross injustice it done, if you are ill treated, when you are
found fault with for no reasons and the like. I am only referring to
those who habitually fight for any small reason – as if the whole
world is against them.

Many older persons expect to be respected merely because of their age.
Their past has taught them to demand respect. They feel they will be
tolerated and not answered back, because of the culture of youngsters
showing respect for the old. One thing we need to realize is that
respect can not be demanded. It must be commanded by actions and
letting others know what we are through our actions.

Many have super egos and think they are right always. An extreme sense
of self righteousness causes them to assert their rights forcefully.
They stick to rules and are not prepared to tolerate errors due to
human nature. They do not realize that rules are framed only to be
read and not acted upon! "They are framed to frame someone you don't
like", my headmaster used to say.

Most senior citizens also feel week, lonely or helpless. This may be
due to physical conditions like partial deafness, poor sight, lack of
briskness etc. This makes them feel they will be victimized or
exploited. Have n't you seen young boys teasing oldies in a park? As
a mechanism of avoiding such victimization – mostly arising out of
paranoiac feelings – they tend to fight and justify themselves. The
one who strikes first is mightier, they reason.

The only way to avoid such fighting scenes is to realize that getting
angry takes us nowhere. Except feeling bitter and bitter about the
world, nothing is gained. We can not teach anybody any lesson. Let us
mend ourselves if we have to – there is no other way.