Researchers have shown that the elderly are better able to live with contradictions in life and that they quickly see the essentials of situations because of their greater experience. Wisdom, they observe, includes the intent to do good, which in turn depends on holding favorable attitudes toward other people. In looking at the issue of decline in mental skills in age, these researchers are aware of the increase of organic brain disorders and of lower mental agility often occurring in the later years, but they also note that so called crystallized intelligence and certain other mental powers can remain stable and even increase. Knowledge of vocabulary words, for example, declines very little and may actually improve at any age.

It depends on the culture and the social background. There is an American made movie " lost in translation (2003)", it may give you an better idea. If the comparison is referring to the elderly in their advance age, I have no idea.