That's how it should be. I'm referring to men (as that's the only place I seen this trend) who are single (no woman was ever quite good enough) and just a little past the age of 50. They're set financially, and either don't work because they are no longer employable, or have no interest. They seem to become raging hypochondriacs (it's all about them). The stories they tell about doctors that won't treat their imaginary ailments (from colon cancer to neuropathic pain to anything that requires ativan or other addictive pharmaceuticals), or hypersensitivity to everything from paper used in magazines to the air we breath, are straight out of a comedy (although for them it's dreadfully serious). No conversation with these people, no matter how short, is complete without a long diatribe about their ailments, personal pharmacy, and incompetent doctors. This isn't a phase, this is something that seems to start in the late 40s, and, as years go by, it's their only point of focus ... an obsession that is entirely inwardly focused, off-balanced, and not normal. These are bright educated men who, throughout their lives, were not responsible for anyone but themselves, and, as they age, they are not interested or concerned about anyone but themselves. They are worthy of respect except for the fact that their only interest is in themselves ... which makes them less worthy of respect. They don't respect anyone and perceive almost everyone as beneath them. They're the creeps that nearly run people over in crosswalks, who flash the finger at someone that merges into their traffic lane, who push and shove to get what they want to the exclusion and detriment of all others.
