It really goes to show that the older you get, the more stubborn some people are about staying in their immature shell. I have found this to be more prevalent in China than in any other country where I have worked. Some older western males apparently buy into the stereotype that places in East Asia value the idea of respecting your elders and what-not. Unfortunately in China generally the society will give authority to folks simply for becoming older, and not for the amount of value that they brought to the society. The foreign teacher though no matter how old he/she is will not be given high status in the society due to not being in any inner social circles of relevance. This truth though of being seen as the outsider as well as not being able to learn the language proficiently is simply too much to bear for some. After all, you traveled halfway across the globe to find a new life for yourself possibly, why would you want to think about such huge handicaps? But the idea of getting respect and attention becomes an obsession of sorts, and unfortunately younger foreign teachers are often put at the brunt of this. I can't speak enough about situations when I was working at various places in China where I had my own peace of mind disrupted by a man-child who could role play Santa Claus because they are at that age. Basically, the older foreign teacher believes that so as long as they have graced themselves with being present in the company of the younger foreign teacher then the younger foreign teacher cannot ever be more in the right than the older one. They do not have anyone else to order around and bully, so this is the demographics they turn to so they can make themselves feel as if they actually have standing/status. Unbeknownst even to themselves, they have rightfully taken up the mantle of a full blown LOSER.

Many, many young teachers may have trouble adjusting to these types of people in the beginning. After all, I would not hang out with such unbearable company back home, especially if I want to keep myself young in the mind and idealistic. So why should I do it in countries such as China? But due to being unemployable back home, these types of older ft's are found everywhere. You need to be careful who you talk to, and see if the amount of time given to you in a conversation with others is equal or at least fairly rationed even if it is on topics you are unfamiliar about. Ethics also dictate that a person behave in a non-hypocritical manner, but the many older ft's have tried creating a climate where this shouldn't apply. A good example would be the remark made by a poster who said younger teachers are mostly backpackers with low moral fiber(without stating concrete evidence as to why), but turned around and stated how they are rightfully employed on a fake degree printed at the company where they work and how smoking kills all the germs in the air. For some older FT's trying to use China (or any country still with these kinds of stereotypes) as a platform to ruthlessly force their opinions on to anyone who would give them the time of day has become a way of life, possibly because their own lives are so unfulfilling.

To be fair, not all older FT's are like this. I had the fortune of meeting one foreign teacher who lead a rather productive life and helped me with my own trauma a few years back after some really bad experiences overseas. He is a regular poster on here and he is someone I have no problems entrusting personal information to. Another teacher who worked for a long time on an island country in Asia whom I met in China I also keep in touch with, and he is a rather humorous fellow indeed. But these two people have the ability to give equal time for conversation for others, and will actually listen and take into account what another person's words mean. They will also ask you how you feel about a situation in which they already have an opinion on, which is something I like and respect about them.

Jealousy of the young and talented is widespread, and people who are actually qualified and who should be hired to do important jobs which bring functional integrity to a society find their paths fraught with old boy's clubs, sectarianism, and mass moral corruption in the developing world. For younger, fresh out of college teachers, you should know that many of the older boys still want in on the profits of these elements. If they can't have it they will merely pick out the most vulnerable person around them to dump on and push around. Keep your heads up, and do not let yourself become a casualty of their own agendas.