HAVE OLDER MEN EARNED THE RIGHT TO BE GRUMPY?

By Richard Irvine

Much is understood about the causes and effects of the Menopause on women but less is known about changes - hormonal, mental, physical - experienced by a large proportion of older men.

It has for a long time been explained away as the grumpy old man syndrome. A catch-all for the cantankerous, tetchy and in some instances, downright rude behaviour exhibited by a percentage of the male population.

I wonder, though, if this is simply a cultural stereotype, a trope, that makes light of a more serious clinical condition? And if so, should these men be cut some slack for their behaviour?

But first thing’s first; do men really go through a menopause?

No, they don’t, says Harvard Medical. Not in the true sense of the word, but they do experience a gradual decline in testosterone levels which can lead to physical, sexual and emotional changes. These in turn can induce mood swings, irritability and and in extreme circumstances, depression.

Then there’s loneliness.

Older men compared to women of the same age are often more isolated. They tend to have fewer close friends and according to the International Longevity Centre UK, are less likely to reach out to their children and other family members. This invariably effects their demeanour.

Add to this, Social Media.

The usage patterns of older men and women are quite different. Women tend to use social media as a way of staying in contact with friends and family whereas men use Social Media for news, politics and information where their exposure to outrage and negative sentiment is often far higher.

So yes, there are some fairly compelling reasons as to why men can become chronically irritable as they age. But is this an entitlement?

I for one, don’t really care if someone chooses to be grumpy or not, it’s their choice how they live their life and present themselves to the world - UBU to borrow from the old Reebok campaign.

That said, I do draw the line when grumpiness extends to outright rudeness. Age is absolutely no excuse to be impolite, offensive or disrespectful.

It is not a right, earned or otherwise.

Personally, I prefer happiness over gloominess, laughter over grumbles and choose to seek out those people who see the world through a kinder, more witty, sanguine lens.

The caveat being Saturday afternoons spent watching Sheffield Wednesday.

Grumpiness doesn’t even come close.

Richard is Co-founder and Creative Director at A3A and a long suffering Sheffield Wednesday fan