27 refreshing things older people say they care less about as they age

From worrying about others’ opinions to chasing trends, here’s what seniors are happily letting go of—and why it’s freeing.

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GOOD Staff

Aug 13, 2025

By GOOD Staff

August 13, 2025

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Photo credit: via Canva – An older couple laughs together on a couch

Getting older has so many perks–grandkids, retirement, senior discounts (!). But the biggest benefit? Wisdom. Years of life experience add up. There’s a reason young people look to their elders for life advice and guidance. Plain and simple–they’ve lived it. And with age comes confidence in identity and what truly matters–without sweating the small stuff.

Thankfully, that sage advice has been freely given freely to younger generations who seek it. Here are 27 of the best responses from older people to the question, “What things do you care less about as you age?”

1. “Other people’s opinions about me.” – recoveredcrush

aging wisdom, things older people donu2019t care about, life lessons from seniors, letting go with age, social media fatigue, aging gracefully, senior life advice, mindset shifts with age, aging and priorities — A therapist takes notes while a patient talks via Canva

2. “Impressing others.” – orangedustt

3. “So grateful I grew up without social media. I just want to be a good person, the rest is silliness.” – SuperCookie22

4. “Everything but the weather.” – NANNYNEGLEY

5. “My clothes, buying more stuff, arguing, holding grudges, stress, none of it I care about or think about anymore.” – AvocadoSoggy9854

6. “Having toxic people in my life. If they disturb my peace, they’re gone. Idgaf if they’re related to me or not.” – Pepperjones808

7. “Anyone else’s opinion.” – typhoidmarry

8. “New cars.” – Artimusjones88

9. “I’m in a ‘prestigious’ job, having to wear suits daily. Make a decent amount of money. 85% of my clothes in my closet are from Walmart. I will always choose comfort and price over brand.” – Few-Truth7307

10. “Makeup. I just realized today that I don’t always wear it every day. If I’m going out to dinner, a meeting at school, lunch with a friend, date night with my husband or volunteering- Yes I’ll wear makeup. Grocery store or running errands and other random things? No. I still put on nice clothes, fix my hair and put jewelry on but depending on what I’m doing I only put some moisturizer on. My face feels so good not having anything on it. I was THAT girl who would put makeup on at the beach when I was a teen .” – JDRL320

11. “New technology. Currently redoing my kitchen. I do not want a microwave with some kind of flip out electronic control panel, it’s just one more thing to break. The fridge we liked had 3 cameras inside and required an app. You know what I don’t want people watching? Me half asleep, looking for a snack in my underwear. It seems like everything requires an app now.” – superthrust123

12. “(Celebrities.) The musicians I enjoyed are dying off, leaving only the ones that I have no idea who they are. I’m 65 and just found out in 2024 who the Kardashians are (yes, I’ve seen the name forever but never wanted/needed to know about them). Still not sure why anyone cares.” – JustMeInTN

13. “All of the things that used to eat away at me just don’t anymore. I’m three years away from sixty, and I don’t have time for all of the BS.” – EWH733

14. “I hit a point this January that I just don’t care about social media. It was like a light bulb being switched off. I’ll keep it around for some things, but I just don’t feel the need to post updates every day or even every week. Everyone is just arguing. No one is listening.” – elphaba00

15. “Pleasing other people. At about 50 I learned to say ‘no’ without guilt or regrets. Now I really enjoy gatherings with friends and family because I only do the work I want to do.” – queenofmyhouses2

16. “Less about people – but I care more about their dogs – pet all dogs.” – the_Jockstrap

17. “Buying stuff. I really dialed back buying clothes, I do refresh the wardrobe but I give away / toss stuff at the same time. I don’t like opening closets and see clothes and shoes all piled up.” – ProStockJohnX18. “Being right.” – FogPetal

19. “I care less about trends and more about meaningful connections and experiences. Priorities just shift as we grow.” – StrongDifficulty4644

20. “Vanity, being palatable to EVERYONE in your life, hustling, trying to be cool/impressive to others.” – MaximumTrick2573

21. “If my career is ‘successful’ (I just want to pay the bills and be happy).” – Front-Rub-439

22. “Having a busy social calendar. Staying home and reading or watching TV is fine with me. The occasional dinner out with friends is enough socializing for me. And I try to avoid parties if I can. Elaborate vacations. Sitting on the beach is fine with me. I did the Europe thing when I was in my 20s.” – Ineffable7980x

23. “Buying almost anything new. I love thrift shopping.” – Dvanpat

24. “Accumulating more stuff! Downsizing is what I want most now.” – Audience_Either

25. “Keeping up with decorating trends for my house. I’m just happy to have a home full of useful appliances and sturdy furniture I inherited over the years.” – TXteachr2018

26. “Not knowing things. It used to drive me crazy, like the saying goes, ‘curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought him back’ but more and more I’m stressing less and less about the secrets others keep, what I don’t understand, and just being out of the loop in general.” – Carrollz

27. “Relationships that aren’t reciprocal.” – Optimal_Guitar8921

This article originally appeared earlier this year.

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One night in Apple Valley, California, Morgan Graham rose in the middle of the night. A smell had woken her up. It was pleasant, but at 11:28 p.m. she wasn’t expecting to smell delicious cooking. She went down into the kitchen to see her 15-year-old nephew, Amir Jackson, baking cookies.

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Nearly every night, Graham wakes up around midnight to the smell of cookies, cornbread, tacos, or whatever her nephew wants to prepare.

“I don’t care,” said Graham in the initial video. “He’s very responsible. He’s not gonna burn the house down, so therefore, cook whatever you want.”

Graham further explained in the video that Jackson looks at recipes daily. He also rummages through her pantry during the day to search for ingredients for his nightly cooking fest.

“In his world, he’s having the time of his life. In my world, I just want to stop waking up close to midnight to the smell of food,” Graham joked.

Graham’s videos featuring her nephew have racked up millions of views on TikTok and Instagram. The commenters soon bestowed the nickname “Midnight Chef” upon Jackson, to general delight. In another video, Jackson explained he liked the peace and quiet of the night while preparing his dishes.

“I was like, ‘Man, I could go for some cookies right now.’ I saw they had cookie dough, so I started just making them, just randomly,” Jackson told TODAY. “I was trying to make sure nobody was up. My thought process was just like, ‘Man, why not?’”

Graham is encouraging her nephew to keep cooking even though it wakes her. In fact, Graham set up Jackson’s own Midnight Chef Instagram page for him to post his latest recipes.

“I just want to experiment while I still got the chance to experiment. I’ll maybe like branch into different fields,” said Jackson. “Explore what I can do while I still got time to.”

Why do we indulge in late night snacking?

Jackson’s popularity has brought up a commonly asked question: Why do we crave food randomly in the middle of the night?

Well, there’s actually a bit of science behind it. Turns out that late night snacking is a result of our circadian rhythm system. As part of our now-defunct survival mechanism, our ancestors would eat large meals at night to store energy in times of famine. This is also why most midnight snackers crave foods higher in fat, salt, and sugar compared to what they’d usually eat during the day. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with late night snacking, it could curb certain health goals if a person is trying to trim down.

If you find yourself getting up in the middle of the night with a hankering for a snack, it may be worth taking a peek at Jackson’s videos. Who knows what kind of late night cooking it can inspire? Perhaps you’ll become a Midnight Chef yourself.

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A new rule adopted by the European Union is intended to reduce landfill waste while holding major clothing manufacturers accountable.

Starting July 19, the EU prohibits large companies from destroying unsold clothing, accessories, and shoes under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). The regulations will expand to cover medium-sized companies in 2030.

Fast fashion has become a major environmental concern. As retailers rapidly cycle through trends, unsold clothing often ends up in landfills or is destroyed to make room for new inventory. Many garments are made from synthetic fibers that can release greenhouse gases as they break down and shed microplastics that may contaminate soil and waterways.

What’s the ban’s purpose?

The ban is intended to reduce the amount of unsold clothing that large manufacturers dispose of. According to the European Environment Agency, between 264,000 and 594,000 tonnes of unused textiles are destroyed across Europe each year.

Instead of destroying unsold clothing, companies will need to find other ways to keep those products in use. That could mean selling excess inventory at a discount, donating it to charities or social enterprises, or preparing it for reuse through repair, refurbishment, or remanufacturing. When those options aren’t feasible, the materials can be recycled.

While the regulation is primarily focused on reducing the fashion industry’s environmental impact, the EU also hopes it will strengthen the economy by encouraging more sustainable business practices. The ban incentivizes companies to design products that are more resource-efficient, durable, reusable, and easier to repair or recycle. In turn, consumers should benefit from higher-quality products that last longer and generate less waste.

Companies may destroy unsold clothing and footwear only in limited circumstances, such as when the items are damaged, unsafe, counterfeit, infringe intellectual property rights, or have been rejected by charitable organizations. Businesses relying on these exemptions must provide supporting documentation, such as test results or other records, to justify the destruction. Even then, they must follow the EU’s waste hierarchy, which prioritizes reuse and recycling over disposal. Companies are also required to publish annual reports detailing the unsold products they have discarded.

National authorities will enforce the ban and may impose fines on companies that violate its requirements, including failing to maintain records for at least five years to support inspections. To help reduce the administrative burden, businesses may use existing customs and logistics codes when reporting the products they discard.

Why recycling isn’t enough

Recycling clothing can be a complicated and labor-intensive process. It often involves separating fabrics, dyes, synthetic fibers, and natural textile materials before they can be reused. That’s not to say it isn’t worthwhile. Instead of ending up in a landfill, recycled textiles can be turned into new clothing, home insulation, carpet padding, and other products.

Still, recycling isn’t a cure-all. The EU hopes the new ban will encourage companies to keep usable clothing in circulation for as long as possible through resale, donation, reuse, or refurbishment before recycling becomes necessary. In doing so, the regulation aims to create a more circular economy rather than allowing piles of unused clothing to continue growing.

This movement hopes to encourage clothing manufacturers to produce higher-quality products and reshape the industry as a whole. Making clothing from higher-grade materials with durable stitching that’s easier to repair can help reduce waste. While critics argue that doing so could reduce the number of garments sold each year, many say better-made clothing is worth the higher price—especially if consumers end up buying fewer replacement items over time.

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There are plenty of things you can do with old clothing around your home. If an item is too damaged to donate, its fabric can be repurposed for crafts or used as cleaning rags. And if you’re handy with a needle, there are countless ways to upcycle old clothes into new outfits, accessories, or other useful items with a little inspiration from the Internet.

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Focusing on the sport, reducing harassment

These guidelines come as multiple stories about women athletes being harassed online have surfaced. Many misogynistic posts about athletes have come from slow motion footage focused on certain parts of the athlete’s body.

“The sexualization of women athletes through selective camera angles and editing choices continues to be a significant concern across many sports broadcasts,” wrote Glen Killane, executive director of EBU Sport in the booklet. “Lingering shots on bodies, low-angle cameras that capture revealing views, and excessive slow-motion replays that serve no technical or storytelling purpose are among the issues observed in the media coverage of women’s athletics competitions today.”

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“I first-hand have received social media abuse and witnessed inappropriate videos online of myself and colleagues when slow motion content of us competing is captured,” wrote Bradshaw in the guide. “Athletes want to enjoy themselves doing the sport they love without feeling uncomfortable or anxious about the footage being shown live. Many athletes, myself included, have been in competitive scenarios where they are more focused on the cameras instead of their own performance.”

What the guide provides

The guide provides visual aids for broadcasters along with insights from the athletes to explain why certain shots would be preferred. Broadcasters are requested to avoid tight shots from the back of athletes. They’re also asked to avoid low camera angles from underneath. They recommend shots above the pelvis or ones that don’t linger onto commonly sexualized areas of the body. They recommend wider shots so the audience can see the technical ability being displayed by the athlete. Overall, the point is to focus on the athletic performance rather than close-ups of the athlete.

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