Is it rather seen as an offence to say the words "old people" in the Western culture?
Real case given as following -
My friend is running some private selling of mattresses at home. Whenever customers come by his place, he shows them his stock of mattresses. I have just happened to be next to him a couple times when he was trying to sell off a mattress to some customers. He has a variety of mattresses; some are good for young people, others are good for the elderly. When introducing mattresses, my friend often use the words "old people", e.g. 'this mattress is good for old people because it is more dense and firmer..." In China, we do not mind to hear the words "old people" that much (from my point of view). If this happens in China, the Chinese understand that the elderly are inclined to firm mattresses. Now I am wondering what Western people think of or react to in the situation like this. Will Westerners mind being called or hearing "old people"? How to say, in my friend's case, that a particular mattress that is suitable for the elderly without offending his customers, even if some young customers do like firm mattress?

Question

Is it rather seen as an offence to say the words "old people" in the Western culture?
Real case given as following -
My friend is running some private selling of mattresses at home. Whenever customers come by his place, he shows them his stock of mattresses. I have just happened to be next to him a couple times when he was trying to sell off a mattress to some customers. He has a variety of mattresses; some are good for young people, others are good for the elderly.  When introducing mattresses, my friend often use the words "old people", e.g. 'this mattress is good for old people because it is more dense and firmer..." In China, we do not mind to hear the words "old people" that much  (from my point of view). If this happens in China, the Chinese understand that the elderly are inclined to firm mattresses. Now I am wondering what Western people think of or react to in the situation like this. Will Westerners mind being called or hearing "old people"? How to say, in my friend's case, that a particular mattress that is suitable for the elderly without offending his customers, even if some young customers do like firm mattress?

Answer

You said it yourself, "this kind of mattress is suitable for the elderly". Old people isn't really offensive as such, but it can be considered rude by some.

Answer

thanks all of you for giving your opinions, actually i thought i have known the answer already, even before i asked, but to be more certain, i'd better voice it out in the public and seek an more accurate answer. Just as Jura said, i agree, if i were in my friend's position, i would not mention anything about age, instead i would put it like this "...you see, some people'd prefer firmer mattresses, others'd go with soft ones...blah blah".

Answer

Your friend does not need to say to people how old or young they are. All he needs to talk about is the qualities of the mattresses that he sells. 
 When talking to elderly people he can say: ' I recommend this this mattress  because it is more dense and firmer..."

Answer

Yes, it is rude. We refer to them as:
"The elderly"

Answer

No. Every young someday will become old.
When a young and an old are at the front of a door, young says age before beatiful.

Answers · 5

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