> and perhaps a 70 year old might value their time doing something else?
They should be content with their inferior choices then.
> I've also met more than one 70+ year old person who was convinced that they understood how things worked, and to admit otherwise was to display weakness/lose credibility
These people deserve it.
Note, I certainly do think that there should be more regulation on lying salesmen, but these are kind of bad examples imo.
I have empathy. I also have a brain, which I used to come to the conclusion that you either have self-agency and therefore you are liable to the consequences of your actions or you do not have self-agency. If a person chose to not do research, then he is liable to the consequences of his ignorance.
Neither of these are a property exclusive to old people though - why should I have empathy for people who mess up while they pretend to know everything?
Why should I have empathy for people who have chosen to invest their time in some other way? I do not have empathy for them just like I do not have empathy for people who have chosen to not do their homework and end up getting a low grade.
If I do end up being like that however, then I will fully deserve it. I can only hope that the people around me will try to put me in a straight path then.
They should be content with their inferior choices then.
> I've also met more than one 70+ year old person who was convinced that they understood how things worked, and to admit otherwise was to display weakness/lose credibility
These people deserve it.
Note, I certainly do think that there should be more regulation on lying salesmen, but these are kind of bad examples imo.