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That's a nice theory, but it seems to be common to get emotional with age - senile lability if you want to google it. My first introduction to the term as a te

That's a nice theory, but it seems to be common to get emotional with age - senile lability if you want to google it. My first introduction to the term as a teenager was in Earthly Powers[1]. Didn't get it then, but as I get older (and like you after kids), I find I tear up at stories of sacrifice and generosity. [1] https://books.google.com/books?id=PsJyuYIL-_MC&pg=PT6&lpg=PT6&dq=senile+lability+anthony+burgess&source=bl&ots=kDDxb7XuFw&sig=HLU1AZ7jdGct0OAC4rtDtk9jNRk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwigpLaCj_vMAhVS2mMKHfZMDUIQ6AEIIjAB#v=onepage&q=senile%20lability%20anthony%20burgess&f=false https://books.google.com/books?id=PsJyuYIL-_MC&pg=PT6&lpg=PT... [2] https://books.google.com/books?id=RRV0DbfOsqUC&pg=PA207&lpg=PA207&dq=senile+lability&source=bl&ots=fA9OUjCSZk&sig=WTVmJqiRA2lzjiRWYuMJqIpCNv0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwib_IbJjvvMAhWFLmMKHS0QB9IQ6AEINDAE#v=onepage&q=senile%20lability&f=false https://books.google.com/books?id=RRV0DbfOsqUC&pg=PA207&lpg=...

twic 10y ago
I've noticed this in myself, and had put it down to getting lonelier as i get older. When i was talking to school or university friends every day, i was grounded in reality, somehow; now i only see real close friends every week or few weeks, i'm off in a little emotional world of my own where any little thing can take on subjectively huge proportions.
kpil 10y ago
I think there is a difference between senile decay, and the fact that when you are getting older, you have witnessed the fragility of life in ways that most teenagers luckily have not. I think my empathy is growing as I'm getting older. I am aware that some people just hardens up or getting more or less traumatized if they experience really traumatic events or periods and I don't think it is that useful to look at war-like events as it kind of go outside a useful scale, but in personal tragedies a lot of people people seems to go softer. Maybe you have to learn empathy. There are many signs that says it's at least partially so.
- notduncansmith 10y ago
  Empathy definitely has to be exercised and trained regularly to work well. As I understand it (not an expert but I've read up on it on the Internet), children are pretty much incapable of it until ~4 as there's some mental development necessary. If you spend lots of time in an environment where you're not conscious of building your empathy and remembering to use it, your ability and tendency to do so will wither.

twic 10y ago

I've noticed this in myself, and had put it down to getting lonelier as i get older. When i was talking to school or university friends every day, i was grounded in reality, somehow; now i only see real close friends every week or few weeks, i'm off in a little emotional world of my own where any little thing can take on subjectively huge proportions.

kpil 10y ago

I think there is a difference between senile decay, and the fact that when you are getting older, you have witnessed the fragility of life in ways that most teenagers luckily have not. I think my empathy is growing as I'm getting older. I am aware that some people just hardens up or getting more or less traumatized if they experience really traumatic events or periods and I don't think it is that useful to look at war-like events as it kind of go outside a useful scale, but in personal tragedies a lot of people people seems to go softer. Maybe you have to learn empathy. There are many signs that says it's at least partially so.

notduncansmith 10y ago
Empathy definitely has to be exercised and trained regularly to work well. As I understand it (not an expert but I've read up on it on the Internet), children are pretty much incapable of it until ~4 as there's some mental development necessary. If you spend lots of time in an environment where you're not conscious of building your empathy and remembering to use it, your ability and tendency to do so will wither.