Do people withdraw from society as they get older?
There’s a common trope about people who become recluses as they age, but there are many good reasons why they do so. Many of us will probably pull back from the wider world to some degree as we reach our later years, and these things explain why.
1. Awareness of how unhealthy (and corrupt) society is.
If you found out that the pool you’d been swimming in was full of sewage, you’d likely stop swimming in it, right? As people mature, many of them realize just how unhealthy and corrupt modern society really is, and as such they choose to participate in it as sparingly as possible.
2. The common-sense desire for peace and quiet.
Every great accomplishment was birthed in silence. You need quiet to contemplate great ideas, be creative, or even simply rest and replenish properly. Many people want to use whatever time they have left for cerebral endeavors, which require silent solitude to bring into reality.
3. Wanting to live life on their own terms.
Younger people often feel a great amount of pressure to conform to contemporary fashion, social expectations, and other people’s demands. In contrast, older people often have little patience for all of this, and, instead, want to live the way they like: wearing what they want, behaving how they want, without others’ judgment or commentary.
4. Health Issues.
If a person’s health issues interfere with their ability to socialize—either because they’re physically disabled or they’ve had brain issues that mess with their memory—they may prefer to keep to themselves. They’ll interact with those they’re close to, but don’t have the energy for society as a whole anymore.
5. Maximized personal efficiency.
People can get a startling amount of things done when left to their own devices. A retired person who has chosen to detach from society might pursue another degree, do amazing home renovations, or take up a variety of crafts, and redirect all their energy to those pursuits instead of societal conformity.
6. Overstimulation.
Think about how much information you are exposed to on a daily basis. The 24/7 news cycle, the proliferation of advertising, the stream of memes, “facts,” and videos on social media. Really, it’s too much for our minds to cope with. That’s why many older people eschew this overstimulation for the sake of personal tranquility by cutting these information streams off.
7. Lessened energy levels.
For the most part, as we get older, we have much less energy in our personal “wells” to dole out to others on a constant basis. It takes a lot of energy to engage with society on a regular basis, and many elders prefer to keep that energy for their family, close friends, and personal pursuits. That’s part of the reason it is thought most people become a little more introverted as they get older.
8. Filtering unwanted people out of their lives.
In most societies, the percentages of people we actually want to interact with are significantly smaller than the annoyances involved with societal interaction. Older people often choose to distance themselves from narcissistic relatives, demanding acquaintances, annoying neighbors (including loud and unruly children), and so on.
9. Avoiding the bad consequences of other people’s thoughtless decisions.
When we get older, we have less and less patience for other people’s terrible life choices. As such, many elders choose to avoid feeling frustrated with those around them by retreating from society and letting other people deal with the consequences of their own stupidity on their own time.
10. Placing greater emphasis and importance on health.
Many older people want to spend their later years in an environment where they can have fresh air, clean water, and good, healthy food, rather than breathing in car exhaust and dealing with hordes of strangers. That’s why so many move to the country, where they can enjoy sunsets and starry skies instead of traffic.
11. Preference for slower living.
Society, especially inner-city society, is usually quite frenetic and high-paced. Removing oneself from that pandemonium can reduce things like stress and anxiety significantly. When one doesn’t feel forced to participate in societal demands, they can take their time with slow-cooked meals, hand crafts, and deep contemplation.
12. Peace of mind.
The more people who live around you, the more chances there are for awful things to happen. Older people who retreat from society and live more insulated lives in smaller rural communities have far greater peace of mind than those who are braced for break-ins or apartment fires on a daily basis due to their urban environment.
