If you want to keep your dignity in your 70s and beyond, say goodbye to these 8 habits

Getting older isn’t a downfall—it’s a transition.

But whether that transition is smooth, graceful, and dignified… or full of regrets and resistance, comes down to the habits we carry with us.

I've seen it time and time again—people in their 70s who still have this undeniable vitality. And then others who’ve practically given up.

The difference?

Often, it’s not luck, money, or even health.

It’s the stuff they chose to stop doing.

So, if dignity in your 70s and beyond is something you care about, here are 8 habits that absolutely need to go.

Let’s get into it.

1. Complaining about the “modern world”

There’s no dignified way to keep moaning about “kids these days,” smartphones, AI, or how “everything used to be better.”

Change is hard, sure.

But clinging to the past and resisting the present just makes you sound bitter and out of touch.

I met a 76-year-old man in Lisbon who was learning how to edit videos on CapCut for his cooking channel.

He told me, “The moment I stop learning, I’m useless to myself.”

That’s it right there.

Dignity doesn’t come from being right about the past.

It comes from being curious about the now.

2. Living in denial about your body

You can’t eat like you're 30. You can’t party like you’re 25. And yes, your body takes longer to recover.

But pretending you’re invincible only leads to pain, hospital visits, and avoidable embarrassment.

As Dr. Peter Attia says, “Most chronic diseases of aging are preventable—if you act decades in advance.”

Your 70s should be a reward for the groundwork you’ve laid, not a sentence for what you ignored.

Respect your limits.

Walk more. Stretch often. Get the damn check-ups.

There’s nothing undignified about adapting.

But there’s something deeply tragic about pretending nothing’s changed.

3. Talking more than you listen

Want to lose people’s respect real fast?

Make every conversation about you.

Tell long-winded stories from 40 years ago with no point. Interrupt others mid-sentence. Offer advice no one asked for.

I hate to say it, but this is a trap a lot of older folks fall into without noticing.

One of my mentors—a retired therapist—once told me:

“Listening is a sign of wisdom, not silence. People assume that age equals insight. But if you’re not listening, you’re not learning. And if you’re not learning, you’re not growing.”

So ask more questions. Be genuinely interested.

That’s how you keep your dignity in rooms where people are younger, smarter, or louder.

4. Letting your world get smaller

It’s easy to shrink your world with age.

Same routines, same people, same chair by the window.

But familiarity is not the same as fulfillment.

I’ve mentioned this before, but during a month-long trip to Kyoto, I met a 72-year-old woman learning Spanish online just so she could visit South America for the first time.

She said it kept her brain “awake.”

That stuck with me.

You don’t have to travel the world or learn three new languages.

But you do need novelty.

New people. New books. New ideas.

Because when your world gets smaller, so does your dignity.

5. Holding onto grudges

This one? It’s poison disguised as pride.

You know the types—they’ll say things like, “I haven’t spoken to my brother since 1998, and I never will.”

As if that’s a badge of honor.

Look, there’s power in boundaries.

But there’s nothing noble about letting resentment harden you.

Studies in emotional aging have shown that forgiveness is linked with better mental health, lower stress, and—you guessed it—higher dignity in old age.

As noted by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, “Forgiveness is not forgetting or excusing, but choosing growth over bitterness.”

You don’t have to forget.

But carrying old anger into your 70s is like dragging a bag of bricks you don’t need anymore.

Let it go.

6. Making excuses for not changing

We’ve all heard some version of this: “That’s just how I am.”

It’s often used to excuse rudeness, laziness, or outdated opinions.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth—just because you’ve done something a certain way for decades doesn’t make it right.

In fact, the longer a bad habit has been around, the more damaging it probably is.

I had an older family friend who used to say, “I don’t do email.”

Until one day, his doctor only sent test results via an online portal. Guess who had to adapt?

Dignity means taking ownership.

Even if you’re late to the party.

Especially then.

7. Ignoring technology on purpose

You don’t have to become a TikTok star or learn to code.

But actively choosing ignorance in a digital world isn’t noble—it’s isolating.

Technology is the bridge between you and the people you love.

It’s how you see your grandkid’s graduation photos.

It’s how you book that dream trip or join a local interest group.

It’s how you stay informed, connected, and relevant.

Refusing to engage with tech is like refusing to read—it limits your world.

As psychologist Dr. Gene Cohen once said, “Creativity and technology can extend dignity and meaning into late life.”

So sign up for that online class.

Ask your nephew how to use WhatsApp.

There’s no shame in learning.

There’s a lot of dignity in trying.

8. Acting like the best is behind you

This one stings.

But I need to say it.

You are not “past your prime.”

You are not done growing, loving, building, or becoming.

Too many people hit 70 and decide they’re just “coasting.”

And sure, slow down.

But don’t stop.

Some of the most dignified people I know are still writing, creating, dating, mentoring, learning new instruments—at 75, 80, even 90.

There’s always something to look forward to if you’re looking forward.

One of my favorite quotes from author Anne Lamott goes: “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”

Sometimes the second half of life is the best part.

But only if you believe it can be.

The bottom line

Dignity doesn’t arrive with age.

It arrives with awareness.

And it sticks around when we choose growth over stagnation, curiosity over bitterness, and responsibility over excuses.

So as you head into your 70s—or support someone who is—ditch these habits like your future depends on it.

Because in a way, it does.