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Why is it that old guys with long hair , seem to get a pass and the younger ones are really harrassed? James / Tampa,Fl
Hi James
One of the (not many) good things about being an old guy, is that you no longer give a damm about what people may think, say or do
Cheers my friend, from an old guy!
Ian
Probably because most people think the old guys are just old
hippies whose brains were long ago burned out or fried and so
they are past hope but with young guys they probably think that
they still have a chance to "reform" them.
Whilst 'not quite 60' is not THAT old think on:
A: I really have no interest whatever in what anyone else thinks and will tell them to go forth and multiply at will.
B: I have a job in a senior capacity and do not need to meet the approval of anyone or silly rules, perceived or actual: I can set the rules and can welcome long hairs.
C: It is my privilege to harrass those who shave their heads were I to want to - I don't and fully respect their choice - it can look quite attractive though certainly not my preference. You do find that long hairs are more tolerant than those with short hair who thibk any long MUST be into drink, drugs or worse. Sadly our forebears created that impression in the 1960s.
D: I like long hair.
Hair length disputes are almost always about power issues, and they are almost never about grooming issues. Expressed grooming concerns are just a smokescreen.
As an old man, you are no longer seen as a physical threat. Ditto for being a person with gray hair. Once the real issue, power, is no longer aflame, nothing remains to create the smokescreen that was "grooming concerns".
This is real primeval stuff, but men are programmed from prehistoric times when they raid a village to show domination by raping the women and shearing the men. Romans sheared their slaves as an example. This is as ingrained in us as the ways dogs show dominance over other dogs, but at a subconscious level. A man with a mane conveys the message that he is a man who owns himself, and this scares the hell out of men at that deep primeval level who perceive themselves as "authority figures".
Women are almost never hassled about their hair because (1) they are perceived as physically weak and (2) rape, not shearing, is how the primeval brain wants you to utterly disgrace a woman. (Power is generally at the root of most rapes as well (not sex), but going further into that would be off topic for a longhair board.)
Older men are perceived as weak but also, before we had written language and counted solely on memory those with gray hair were seen as valuable sources of information, and as well, old people are tough to get to change their minds ("set in their ways") and considering the lack of threat and value of information, they are not worth the trouble harassing.
All this comes into play and works to the advantage of older longhairs.
Bill
I love your reply. :) I love history, and you are very knowledgable indeed.
Much of the research on this topic was done by Raj Singh. It is a long read but worthwhile for those who want a detailed look through history:
Awesome!!!! Thank you! I've heard the name before. I'll look into it.
This is an interesting point and speaks of the article I read yesterday in USA Today about CBS reporter Lara Logan.In her case she was separated from her crew in Cairo and sexually attacked by an Egyptian mob.Lucky for her some people came to rescue her before she might have lost her life.She is supposed to tell her story on 60 minutes tomorrow evening in a one time only interview about this.
That's cool to know us older longhairs are possibly considered fountains of information:)
Mark
I think I'm more of a dripping tap Mark :)
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This is so well said, Bill. You are truly a man of great wisdom.
Scott
Cause they think the younger one's a pussy. They think they can get away with telling them what to do, as if the whole world is their freaking parent or guardian. They are also afraid of an older guy. Afraid he will hurt them somehow, telling them off, embarassing them. The world has come down hard on young people over the last few decades, just the way the whites would come down on blacks real hard in the early 20th century, in an attempt to destroy peoples growing beliefs in their own freedom and individuality.
We bite.
Certainly bite our detractors and deservedly so.
It is a lot harder for a boss to try to " put it on" an employee their own preference for how someone should look if the target has been around for more then 40 years. Older people are more set in their ways and personalities and are less likely to change to the whims of anybody anytime soon.
I agree Duncan, people will try and influence the weakest, which by and large is kids, which is a tragedy as they are the ones that need to find 'their' way and enter the world open-minded.
cheers Dave
Because they are experienced enough to ignore comments made by frustrated people who didn't have the guts to live their lives the way they wanted and now use their time trying to produce new frustrated people. LOL!!
Cuz "Gramps" is likely to shake his can or walker at ya, and yell "Whippersnappers" if you so much as dare to question his hair. :D
IOW, you are likely going to get noncompliance from the old guy, he's not worth the trouble to bully. The young are easily bullied, by using typical control-tactic buzzwords such as 'authority', 'conformity', 'respect', 'teamwork', 'compliance'. Typically uttered by control freaks who don't value autonomy.
I think it's because they are retired. they don't to worry about workplace dress codes any more or maybe because most of the old guys now are babyboomers who were hippies in the 60s.