There's a centuries-old belief that age brings wisdom. That if you want to get the long view, the insightful response, ask an elder.

I think that, by and large, it's an accurate way of looking at the elderly. Many times they have a perspective that we can't achieve when we're young and driven by hormones.

On the other hand, I can think of a couple of addenda. One is that there are "old souls" in young bodies. People who just seem to see and perceive and understand far beyond their years. When you meet one, you know immediately you're in the presence of a wise one.

And the other exception to the rule is the older person, the person whose chronological age has added up to many decades, but is no more insightful or wise than when he or she was young, still captured by rigidly held opinions and easily swayed by facile, easyily remembered slogans.

We treasure the wise ones and we forgive the others (what else can we do?)