What are you, friends?: MUMPSIMUS vs. SUMPSIMUS

Are you a mumpsimus or a sumpsimus?

The well-known phrase “teaching an old dog new tricks” always makes me think about the old generations called boomers, which could broadly include people at my age, and their own stubborn modus vivendi.  Although quite a few mid-aged fellas and the elderly folks around us are trying to stay young and refreshed, the way they think or see the world often renegades their labels down to the stick-in-the-mud or fossilized mumpsimus.  A mumpsimus is someone who sticks to a mistaken belief, habit, or usage despite clear evidence that it is wrong.  On the opposite side on the scale of tendency in life is a sumpsimus who’s willingly correcting form or accepting/ adopting the correction. Which side are you gravitating toward in life?

 

 

Where do I stand on the scale of being mumpsimus and sumpsimus?

When it comes to

-          food choices, I am low-key mumpsimus because I would like to stay on the safe side by eating familiar food.

-          fashion statement, I try trendy styles now and then, but can’t stand skimpy clothes that I loved to wear in my 20s. Most of the time, I am wearing the same old comfy outfits even if they belong to the has-been styles that are not in vogue anymore.

-          exercise, running is definitely on top of my priority workout list albeit many people say it is not the best activity for ageing people.

-          relationships, I have never been a sociable “party person” or the one who takes delight in expanding the loop of friends or acquaintances. I tend to spend my life with those who are on the same wavelength with me.

That is obviously why I can’t take full advantage of using social media platform to befriend total strangers.

-          movie genres or books, I love any kind of films of books as long as they help me understand the meaning of life.

-          love, I am still working on the definition of “L.O.V.E.” because it would be unimaginably challenging for me to venture out my comfort zone to fall in love with somebody outside my marital status. Some may argue that love cannot be restrained only to one person in life, and some others may assert that a true-blue love can only happen once in your lifetime.

 

By now, I believe you may have formed an opinion about me. That’s fair. I also consider myself somewhat of a mumpsimus—someone who sticks to their ways. Still, who can say? Tomorrow brings new opportunities for improvement. And what about you? Would you allow me to get to know you, my friend?