In the eyes of young people, older people may look like an entirely different species. Of course, you cannot stereotype someone simply because he is old, and yet many older people are hopelessly pathetic and unbearable for many reasons. For example, they are incredibly stubborn and impudent, and authoritative and overbearing. Many older men display the characteristics of male chauvinists, too. Due to the destitute situation in which they were raised, they are likely to be stingy, parochial and narrow-minded. Since they have been through turbulent socio-political turmoil, they are also rough, rude and often offensive.

Older people are unbearably voluble and garrulous, too. There is a saying that older people should zip up their mouth and open their ears or purse instead. However, they always do the opposite. To make matters worse, they are not good at operating electronic devices. The problem is that if you do not get used to your computer or smartphone these days, you cannot possibly communicate with young people. I am no longer young, and yet I, too, do not like the older generation for the above reasons.

A few days ago, a Korean daily newspaper carried an article titled, “How to Distinguish Middle-aged Men from Old Men.” For example, if you say, “Today’s college boys are no longer interested in the future of their country; their main concern is how to get a job,” you are an oldie. Or if you criticize young people, saying, “Why do our young people give up so easily? When we were young, we never gave up and accomplished so many things from nothing,” then you are a hopelessly obsolete old man too. If you lament, “Why are young people crazy about pop culture idols? I am worried about the shallowness of youngsters,” you are undeniably an old man detested by the younger generation.

But what is wrong with the above statements or criticisms? The newspaper article argued that if you are trying to give a piece of advice to young people, you are an unbearable old man. But is that not what older people should do? When you are young and impetuous, you may assume that you know everything. On the contrary, there are tons of things young people do not know. Young people tend to lack older men’s insight, wisdom or depth. That is why when young, you should learn many things from older people.

The article also defined middle-aged men. If you tried to communicate with and blend in with the younger generation by using old-fashioned, awkward jokes, you are a middle-aged man. The connotation is that no matter how hard you may try to flatter young people, you can neither become one of them nor communicate with them fully. In the same newspaper article, a young businessman at an IT enterprise wrote, “I work at a workplace free of middle-aged men. When I see them, I feel culture shock.” Another businesswoman wrote, “This year I landed a job among 100 middle-aged men. Compared with oldies, they are cuties.”

The above-mentioned newspaper article indicates we still live in a country that still practices ageism. During the left-wing Roh administration, old people were labeled as conservatives and thus treated as if they were useless, surplus people. In fact, a former cabinet minister in the Roh government declared, “On election Day, old people should stay at home and not come out to vote.” But that is very wrong. Age has nothing to do with conservatism or progressivism. There are many young conservatives and old progressives in our society. It is dangerous to stereotype people according to their age.   

Now under the rightwing government, we are making the same mistake. We still regard old people as hopelessly obsolete and condemn them as “kondae,” a derogatory remark for old men.” Au contraire, there are a great number of aged men and women whose minds are much more global and open than young people’s. Despite their physical age, those aged-people are young in sensitivity, and fresh and original in their thoughts. Young people also deride middle-aged people by calling them “ajae,” a disparaging word for “middle-aged men.”

In the eyes of the old generation, however, young people are no better than the older people they deride. For example, many young people even do not have basic manners or courtesies these days. While conversing or having lunch together, young people do not hesitate to text while someone is talking to them. Young people say that oldies are addicted to smoking and drinking. But is it not true that many young people are addicted to their smartphone? Is it not true that young people are self-centered and egotistic, rather than altruistic and philanthropic? How then could they blame the old?

According the newly implemented NCS system, you are not required to write your educational background on your resume. Strangely, however, you are still required to specify your age. Surely, that is ageism. Your ability has nothing to do with your age. We should stop age discrimination in our society. 

By Kim Seong-kon

Kim Seong-kon is a professor emeritus of English at Seoul National University and president of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea. -- Ed.