The jiu-jitsu of older people (not really counting 50s) is simply that they know what they can and can't achieve, because they've mostly done whatever they're g

The jiu-jitsu of older people (not really counting 50s) is simply that they know what they can and can't achieve, because they've mostly done whatever they're going to do. Sure, some over-60s have great things before them; but that's unusual. So on the whole, older folk aren't struggling to prove themselves; and they pretty much know who they are. Also, they've taken the knocks: they've faced physical injury, the pain of rejection, and often the kinds of illnesses that young people rarely get. They carry the scars and bruises. Perhaps what scares the author isn't old people as such, but rather the experiences they've had that the author has yet to face.