8 outdated habits boomers mistake for “common sense” that actually just annoy everyone else

We all pick up habits from the generations before us. Some are timeless, like writing thank-you notes or holding the door open. But others? Not so much.

Boomers, in particular, have a few “common sense” behaviors that made perfect sense decades ago but feel painfully out of touch today.

They grew up in a world that rewarded toughness and tradition, but the world has shifted a lot since then.

I’m not here to bash an entire generation. I’ve learned plenty from boomers, especially about work ethic and resilience.

But some of their habits haven’t aged well, and clinging to them only alienates the younger generations they often label as “entitled” or “too sensitive.”

Let’s unpack a few. Here are eight outdated habits that many boomers still treat as gospel, even though they mostly just drive everyone else crazy.

1) Equating busyness with productivity

You know that person who brags about working 60-hour weeks as if exhaustion is a medal of honor? That’s peak boomer energy.

For decades, “the grind” was seen as proof of commitment. The longer you stayed in the office, the more successful you must have been.

But these days, we’ve realized that being busy doesn’t mean being effective. It often just means being burnt out.

I once worked for a manager who used to say, “If you’re not slammed, you’re not working hard enough.”

Ironically, he was constantly putting out fires that existed only because everyone was overworked and unfocused.

Modern professionals value output, not hours. Working smarter, not longer, is the new flex.

If anything, bragging about being too busy now reads as a lack of boundaries, not a badge of dedication.

2) Treating younger coworkers like interns forever

There’s something about some boomers that makes them assume they’re always the most experienced person in the room, even when they’re not.

You can have a decade of expertise, but if you’re younger, some still treat you like a rookie who needs “guidance.”

It’s not just patronizing, it’s inefficient.

A friend of mine, a software engineer in his 30s, once told me his boomer boss would ask him to “print out the code” so they could review it together. Yes, print it out.

In an age where information changes by the hour, respect for knowledge should flow both ways.

Younger generations have their own expertise in tech, communication, and culture that deserves to be acknowledged.

Experience matters, sure. But so does staying current.

3) Oversharing personal opinions at inappropriate times

Boomers often pride themselves on “telling it like it is.” They see blunt honesty as a virtue, and sometimes it is.

But not every thought needs to be spoken aloud, especially in professional or mixed company.

Whether it’s politics, religion, or unsolicited lifestyle commentary, some boomers struggle to read the room.

I once attended a dinner where an older guest decided to share his strong views on “kids these days” and how nobody wants to work. You could feel the collective eye-roll.

Honesty is important, but empathy and timing matter more. Saying “that’s just common sense” doesn’t give anyone a free pass to be insensitive.

In today’s world, emotional intelligence counts for a lot more than unfiltered opinions.

4) Refusing to adapt to new technology

We all know that one boomer who insists that “real conversations don’t happen over text” or who still prints emails “just in case.”

Look, I get it. Tech changes fast. But at some point, refusing to adapt stops being a preference and starts being a barrier.

I worked in a restaurant group once where the owner, a man in his late 60s, refused to use the new digital scheduling system.

Instead, he’d handwrite everyone’s shifts and tape them to the wall. Any time someone needed a swap, it became a logistical nightmare.

Meanwhile, the rest of us were syncing shifts through our phones in seconds.

The truth is, tech isn’t replacing human connection, it’s just changing how we maintain it. Adapting doesn’t mean abandoning your values.

It means staying functional in the real world.

5) Confusing “respect” with “obedience”

This one shows up everywhere, in families, workplaces, and even restaurants.

Many boomers grew up believing that “respect” meant not questioning authority.

But for younger generations, respect goes both ways. It’s not something you demand; it’s something you earn.

I’ve seen this play out at work plenty of times. Ask a clarifying question or suggest a better method, and suddenly you’re being “disrespectful.”

But collaboration isn’t rebellion. It’s evolution.

Respecting someone doesn’t mean you have to agree with them. It means you value their perspective, even if it’s different from yours.

Clinging to outdated hierarchies doesn’t build stronger teams. It just silences the people who might have your next great idea.

6) Dismissing mental health struggles as “weakness”

This is one of the toughest generational gaps to bridge.

For many boomers, mental health wasn’t something people talked about. You just “pushed through.” Therapy was for people who couldn’t handle life.

Thankfully, that stigma is fading. But plenty of boomers still roll their eyes at younger folks who take mental health days or talk openly about anxiety.

What they miss is that acknowledging mental health doesn’t make you fragile. It makes you self-aware.

I remember a chef I worked with years ago, a boomer who’d say things like, “We didn’t have burnout in my day, we just worked.”

He later had a health scare brought on by chronic stress.

We don’t talk about mental health to seek sympathy. We do it to avoid breaking down. The goal isn’t to complain. It’s to stay sustainable.

7) Believing loyalty to a company guarantees security

For boomers, loyalty used to mean something. You worked hard, stayed loyal, and the company took care of you in return. That social contract doesn’t exist anymore.

You can give a company ten years, and they’ll lay you off over a spreadsheet decision made in another country. That’s just the reality.

Younger professionals aren’t disloyal. They’re realistic. They know their career is their responsibility, not their employer’s.

When boomers scoff at job-hopping or call it “flaky,” they forget that most millennials and Gen Z workers grew up watching their parents lose jobs after decades of service.

We’re not chasing titles. We’re chasing autonomy, purpose, and stability in an unstable world. That’s not entitlement. That’s adaptation.

8) Making fun of new social norms

Finally, and maybe most frustratingly, many boomers love mocking new cultural shifts.

Whether it’s gender pronouns, sustainability, or changing attitudes around diet, there’s always a sarcastic comment ready. “Back in my day, we just ate meat and didn’t overthink it.”

But here’s the thing. Awareness evolves. What we once ignored, like mental health, the environment, or representation, now matters deeply, and for good reason.

Dismissing it all as “woke nonsense” just signals resistance to growth.

I once overheard an older diner make fun of a plant-based menu, saying, “What’s next, air burgers?”

Funny thing is, that same restaurant now has a months-long waitlist, and their vegan tasting menu is the most popular. Times change, and that’s the point.

If progress makes you uncomfortable, that’s fine. But making fun of people who care about making things better doesn’t make you wise. It makes you stubborn.

The bottom line

Here’s the truth. Every generation has blind spots. We’ll probably have our own one day too.

But clinging to outdated ideas under the banner of “common sense” doesn’t make anyone more grounded. It just keeps them stuck in time.

Boomers taught us a lot about resilience, independence, and hard work. But it’s okay to question the parts of that legacy that don’t fit anymore.

Adaptability is the new common sense. The people who thrive today aren’t the ones shouting, “That’s how we’ve always done it.” They’re the ones asking, “How can we do it better?”

Because at the end of the day, progress always starts with curiosity and the courage to evolve.