Older Friends: Why It Is Necessary to Have Them Around?
When it comes to relationships, friendship is the purest of them all. It doesn’t have size, shape, creed, or any conditions because it is acceptable. Besides, it doesn’t acknowledge age, so many of us may have older friends. Having older friends is a blessing, and many studies also highlight the benefits of intergenerational friendships.
Therefore, we decided why not list some benefits of having older friends for people who are skeptical about it. So, without further ado, let’s dive in and unravel the benefits.
Benefits of Making Older Friends
1. They share a great deal of wisdom and knowledge
Older friends are a blessing when it comes to gaining knowledge. They belong to an older generation, and they have witnessed several evolutions. Not just this, they have achieved several milestones like romantic relationships, starting a family, buying a house, building a successful career, and so on.
Therefore, their knowledge from all these years never goes waste. You can always ask these older people for their help when making important decisions in life. Their experience will help you to the core.
2. They impart a sense of comfort
Believe it or not, having older friends can give you a great sense of comfort. Wondering how? Older people have witnessed a huge part of life and have come across many tribulations.
Due to this, they exactly know how to deal with certain circumstances, be it coping with high school life or handling romantic relationships.
Most importantly, it doesn’t matter whether you are good friends; they will always hear you out and be great listeners.
3. They are a source of great memories
Being from a different age group altogether, older people have definitely witnessed a different phase of life. Therefore, they share their good old memories, and we get a sneak peek of their past lives.
We get to know about more senior trends, and most importantly, they are more than happy to look back and reminisce.
4. They are not judgmental
The best part about having older friends is that they are not judgmental. They have probably witnessed a tougher life than the younger generations, which is why they think from all perspectives.
They do not form any assumptions. Rather they think rationally and conclude. Due to all this, younger friends with older are a combination as there are fewer disputes and more bonding.
5. They are not competitive
They do not assume that their younger friends are brighter than them. They don’t feel jealous about your achievement because they have lived through all the milestones.
They will never compete with you, nor will they pull you down. Yes, they may have a healthy competition, but they will never demean their friends for fun’s sake.
Their agenda is simple – “to value the friendship to the core,” so being friends with older people is much easier.
6. They are die-hard honest
Yes, young friends are also honest, and I do not deny that at all. But the younger generation may get hesitant because they wish to preserve the friendship.
However, on the other hand, older fellas are in no mood to impress anyone as they are past their generation. They have lived their lives and are no longer afraid to pour their hearts out, so honesty is imbibed in them.
7. They value relationship
At times, young generations tend to disavow the basics of friendship because they have ample time to make and break friends. However, older pals value relationships more.
They are at a stage where they have realized that life can be unexpected, and there are no assurances. They have witnessed incidents where small disputes have led to gigantic breakups, so they are extra careful while handling relationships.
8. They will give you more confidence
When making some decision, when a person from the younger generation is confused or low on confidence, their older friend can prove to be a knight in shining armor.
With their sheer experience and pool of knowledge, they can impart confidence and guidelines to take the toughest of decisions. Besides, they will help you realize your strength and make you a better person.
Whether older or younger, intergenerational friendships are beneficial for both, and we have listed them all! But if you are wondering how to make friends, then keep reading!
How to be friends with people years older than you?
- Attend events where you will find more older people. Interact with them and strike a rapport.
- Most of them are involved in the Church group. So, why don’t you be a part of it too?
- Enroll yourself in some book club or social groups that complement your liking.
- Start mingling with older neighbors. Besides, take active participation in the activities organized in your neighborhood- it will help you connect with different people.
- Organize events that older people love. Due to this, you may get a chance to interact with many new people and increase your friend circle.
- Participate in a sports event that older people are fond of. You may also indulge in hobbies that older people like – gardening, poetry, book-reading, etc.
Closing thoughts
You must have realized how we limit ourselves only to our age and generation. Due to this, we miss out on a pool of wisdom and knowledge that could help us achieve our goals in life.
We forget to acknowledge that younger people have much to learn from the older generation. And having them in the vicinity can never go wrong.
Besides, older people can learn loads from the younger generation through social media or the latest trends on the world wide web. They can cope with the fast-paced life, thanks to the young crowd.
Friendship is two-way, and the same applies to intergenerational friendships too! So, if you haven’t had an older friend, grab this opportunity and start building some new connections. I am sure you will never regret it!
