Old Men and the Honest Truth

As I read an endless list of Diogenes' actions, I was reminded of one of my favorite Internet characters: dear old Dad. I was introduced to Dad after his son started posting his father's little jewels of wisdom on a website called shitmydadsays. Just like Diogenes, Dad blesses those around him with anecdotes like, "He's a politician. It's like being a hooker. You can't be one unless you can pretend to like people while you're fucking them," or "Stop trying so hard. He doesn't like you. Jesus, don't kiss an ass if it's in the process of shitting on you." Both Dad and Diogenes believe that they have mastered the art of living and use interesting tactics and language to get their points across. While their stories have endless comic value, the stories also provide their audience with advice that these individuals have learned over a lifetime of experiences. Old age and the confidence of a lived life seem to provide these men with the willingness to express their feelings on an assortment of topics. Unlike a younger individual, elders have less ties to society and therefore are less willing to submit to the disciplines of normalized behavior. Dad and Diogenes both feel free to express their empirical knowledge because they are more free from the expectations and mores of the communities in which they live. As dad says, "They're offended? Fuck, shit, asshole, shitfuck; they're just words...Fine. Shitfuck isn't a word, but you get my point."